Breaking Away
by A Green Tree
Summary: Welcome to the 57th Hunger Games! Watch the tributes survive in a world of love, betrayal, and death. Only the best will remain alive. Who will that be? CLOSED. COMPLETE.
1. Who in the World Will Our Tributes Be?

Welcome to the 57th Hunger Games! Please fill out the form below if you are wishing to submit a tribute to the Games. CLOSED.

**Tribute Form**

Name:

Age:

Gender:

District:

Family & Friends:

Appearance:

Personality:

District Token:

Favorite Weapon:

Reaped or Volunteered:

Strengths & Weaknesses:

Do you want any alliances or romances?:

**Optional**

Tribute's Quote:

Reaping Outfit:

**(End of Tribute Form)**

Check back often to see if your tribute is qualified.

**Tributes Entered So Far:**

District 1 Boy: Saffron Haver

District 1 Girl: Adema Catasro

District 2 Boy: Connor Flipsye

District 2 Girl: Harley Kinect

District 3 Boy: Epoch 'Mouse' Selio

District 3 Girl: Ryan Laurent

District 4 Boy: Blake Kaitz

District 4 Girl: Skylar Reminda

District 5 Boy: Tancered Ride

District 5 Girl: Omega Von Dirge

District 6 Boy: Sam Trainor

District 6 Girl: Jewel Johnson

District 7 Boy: Tasturn Nype

District 7 Girl: Leellia Sapnol

District 8 Boy: Wesley Eldridge

District 8 Girl: Raina Capperide

District 9 Boy: Timmy Hemja

District 9 Girl: Eira Talbot

District 10 Boy: Indigo Wood

District 10 Girl: Jenilee 'Jay' Hunter

District 11 Boy: Clement Polvay

District 11 Girl: Zea Dillum

District 12 Boy: Emton Jilius

District 12 Girl: Thyme Dija

**Thank you for entering.**


	2. District 1 & 2

**A/N: I am so excited to start this story! I have a lot of romances, deaths, and surprises held in store for the Games. **

**Disclamer: I do not own the Hunger Games, or the characters in this story.**

**(Please tell me if I need to change something I am doing wrong for your character!)**

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**District 1**

**Adema Catasro**

_I am a chocolate covered berry with sprinkles on top. I am an orange sliced cake with vanilla icing delicately spread upon me. I am a lemon candy that has caramel inside._

I sprung up from my random thoughts and walked to the window. A light breeze was blowing over District 1, leaving reaping day a cool feeling. The sun was high overhead overlooking the celebrations held in the streets. Banners hung from houses excited for the Games. Balloons were strung to chimneys and doors. Streamers were tied to the balloons. The District 1 houses were looking pretty cheerful!

I grabbed a pretty dark blue dress with silver gems and glass slippers to match. My silky dark blonde hair was carefully curled on my shoulders. I smiled in to my mirror and twirled, running to my best friend, Laney's room. She was dressed in her own reaping outfit and she grinned once I came in.

"Adema!" she laughed. "You look beautiful!"

"Same to you." I pointed to her green dress. "Shall we go, Princess Laney?" I asked in a mock, sarcastic, highly important voice.

She giggled and we took hands and flounced down the staircase to where Sarai was standing in her small red dress. Sarai ran to hug us.

"You guys look pretty," she said.

Sarai is nine. I am seventeen. Sometimes I think Sarai is more practical than I am. Do I care? Does it look like it? No.

We all held hands together and my mother, Celene, took us to the reaping. The square was filled to the brim with people. I found my book club in the mess of it all and waved to them.

Laney and I walked up the crystal white stage and took our places in the seventeen year old section. Then hell broke loose.

"Laney Michealson!"

I don't even remember when I heard it; I just did. My heart stopped and the fluttery feeling I always felt when I was excited washed away. Laney, next to me, tightened her grip on my hand. Her hand was icy cold.

She stepped forward, letting go of my hand, and tried to smile. But she couldn't hide her fear; I knew it was there in her eyes. She started walking to the center of the stage in the dazzling lights.

I screamed and pushed people out of my way to get to her. I think I may have slapped a few people too. I yelled something totally out of the ordinary and got in front of Laney.

"I volunteer!"

I didn't care about manners right now. Laney was my best friend.

The lady who called her name took my hand and smiled.

"Your name is?"

"Adema Catasro, ma'am!"

"Very well, Adema. Are you ready for the Games?"

I gave her a weak smile.

"But what you really mean is, are the Games ready for me?"

**District 1**

**Saffron Haver**

My mother, Pella Haver, fixed me up a grand lunch. In honor of the reaping, it was a tradition to have a special lunch before the reaping. There were shrimp dipped in cocktail sauce, buttered bread, lamb soup, chocolate muffins, and much more.

It was only my mom and I, because my father was dead and I had no siblings. We always feasted on good food by ourselves, but occasionally with my best friend, Kale Larson.

This reaping was a special reaping, since it was my very first one. I wouldn't be happy if I got in the Hunger Games, but I wouldn't be exactly disappointed. I was somewhat tired of the careers that sometimes failed, and I thought I had a slight chance. Even though I was twelve. I was good with certain weapons and I was slightly muscular.

After lunch, I went to my room and dressed in the clothes my mom had laid out for me. It was a nice white shirt, a black tie, nice black pants, and dress shoes. After dressing, I took a car with my mom to the reaping.

When there, I saw my best friend, Kale Larson. We talked and muttered useless things about the Games, and soon enough, it was time.

A girl named Laney Michaelson was picked, but another girl volunteered for her. I believe her name was Adema and she was seventeen. She looked like an okay tribute, but a little too twitchy.

A lady then retreated back to the crystal bowl and picked out a boy's name. Mixed feelings hoped it was me, but not me. Does that make sense?

Well, I didn't have much time to think about it, because then my name was called. I always expected it to be a horrifying moment, but actually it wasn't that bad.

I walked to the center of the stage and stood there as the cameras ate me up. I did not smile, I did not frown, and I simply did not show any emotions.

The lady, who pulled out my name, smiled and congratulated me.

I walked off the stage into Peacekeepers' hands without saying a word.

**District 2**

**Harley Kinect**

I slipped on a sleek black dress and white high heels. I clopped carefully down the stairs and met my father smiling happily, waiting for me. I smiled back and together we walked out of the door to go to the reaping.

When we got there, I searched the crowd for Emily, my best friend. We would be together up on that frightening stage the third time in our lives.

I guess you might be wondering where my mom was. She died in a fire when I was little. I can still remember the hot burns against my mother's skin when she was rushed to a doctor. I tried so anxiously to save her. I kept telling her to stay alive, but she slipped away one morning while I was sleeping.

I found Emily standing with her family and she waved when she saw me. She gave me a cheerful smile and commented on my outfit and smooth blond hair with brown highlights. We talked about the reaping, what we had for breakfast, and where we got our dresses. I answered them all and soon, my sadness about my mother washed away.

Ten minutes later, the reaping started. Emily and I hurried to our places on stage and clenched our fists.

"Good luck," I silently whispered to her.

She nodded back.

A wild lady dressed in green hair waltzed up to the glass bowl and plucked a name from it. The crowd grew silent.

I touched my mother's silver necklace and closed my eyes.

"Harley Kinect!"

I opened my eyes wide in alarm and looked to Emily. She had the same fearful expression. I walked to center stage and started to shake the slightest bit. Now that I think about it, I hope my competitors didn't see that.

"Congratulations, Harley!" the Capitol lady said.

I gritted my teeth.

**District 2**

**Connor Flipsye**

Such a beautiful day for the reaping to be held on. Poor District 11 and 12 tributes crying their eyes out, oh the poor scene. The first day of their deaths. Aw, it's so sad; it makes me want to cry.

My mother came to brush my cute chocolate brown hair. Ick, I didn't enjoy it, but I had to look my best on the day I was going to volunteer. My mom had a sad look on her face, she hated the Hunger Games. And also, if I remember correctly, my brother died today.

They said it was a deadly murderer, a crazy minded brain. My brother was covered with blood and his eyes were shocked. His mouth was open in a distant scream. They never found the murderer to my older brother and they never will either.

Because I killed my brother.

My parents and I headed to the reaping and I quickly stepped on to the streamer filled stage. I went to the roped age areas and waited anxiously.

A green haired lady stepped up to the microphone and someone held out a porcelain bowl out to her. She picked out a girl's name and it was a fourteen year old. She wouldn't last long.

Next, she picked out a boy's name. I watched with my curious 'Bambi' eyes as the nervous sixteen year old stepped forward. I waited until the lady asked if there were any volunteers until I started the act.

"I volunteer!" I squeaked. The crowd looked doubtful that a small twelve year old would last. They shook their heads in disbelief.

The sixteen year old looked relieved as the green haired lady stepped over to me.

"What is your name, young man?" she asked sweetly.

"Connor Flipsye," I said with nervousness. "I-I volunteer in honor of my older brother who was murdered last year." A tear rolled down my cheek.

Excellent.


	3. District 3 & 4

**A/N: Some more districts for you. :) **

**Disclamer: I do not own the Hunger Games, or the characters in this story.**

**(Please tell me if I need to change something I am doing wrong for your character!)**

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**District 3**

**Ryan Laurent**

I woke up on a bunk bed. I had slept very late. Where was I? When did I get there? Then I remembered I was at my best friend, Nate's house. I had escaped to his house when my mom came home, for the first time ever, and was showered with paparazzi and what not.

My mom advertises for television commercials and is a model for magazines. Everything she does is publicized and awed over. She barely comes home and when she does, it's a mess. One time she admitted to the cameras that she wished her daughter would be more like her. F.Y.I., that's me. It gets so annoying and stressful; I often look to Nate for help.

I climbed down the ladder from the top bunk, careful not to wake Nate.

Nate has dark caramel colored hair with gold highlights and striking green eyes. He is very protective over me when other guys try to drool over me. We're not really in a relationship, but I consider him part of my family. I love him like a brother.

I pick up my bag with my reaping outfit in it and trotted to the bathroom. I put on a light blue cotton dress and run my fingers through my dark brown hair. When I am finished preparing, I go back to where Nate's room is and find he is awake. He tells me he is going to get dressed to, but not after telling me I look pretty.

Naturally, I blushed.

After he finished dressing, we grabbed an apple to eat on the go to the reaping. I tried not to smile stupidly, because he looked so stunning.

"Ready for another reaping, Ryan?" he asked.

"As ready as I'll ever be," I said. I couldn't say if I really liked the Hunger Games. I hated seeing other people being killed.

The square of District 3 was full when we got there. We went to the seventeen year old section and waited very patiently for the reaping to start.

When it did, someone dulled on and on about the history of Panem and then finally went to pick out a girl's name.

"Ryan Laurent!"

I stood there, a little shocked at first, but then stepped forward. Nate looked at me fearfully. The person who called my name congratulated me. I saw my mother in the crowd and a lot of cameras were on her to see her expression.

She didn't look scared. In fact, she looked relieved and happy.

**District 3**

**Epoch "Mouse" Selio**

Reaping day. Another way to say to the districts, "Hey, you guys are under our control!"

I angrily kicked my bed and watched it wobble. What if Tigress was picked in the reaping this year? I would never forgive myself for not protecting her.

Tigress was my best friend who was seventeen and had anxiety issues. All though other people despised her for that, I thought she was a wonderful person. I think she was beautiful, funny, and charming.

I turned the engagement ring I was going to give to her today over and over. I traced the designs on it that went up and down and around the ring. Today, I would propose to her after the reaping. That is, if she didn't get reaped.

I had a small lunch with my mother, Rain. My father, Rowan, and little sister Oceana, were taken away from the Peacekeepers. I was very little when that happened. I never knew why they were taken, and I never asked my mother about it. I guess I didn't really want to know.

I was dressed in a black dress shirt, khaki pants, and black kicks. I wanted to look nice, not for the reaping, but for Tigress.

My mother and I headed out in to the sunshine and breathed in the fresh air. We began our walk to the busy square.

When there, I looked for Tigress. I saw her, went over, and she smiled.

"Hi Mouse," she said. That's my nickname.

I said hello back and greeted her with a hug. We walked up the stage together and I could tell she was very nervous about the reaping.

"Don't worry," I said. "I won't let you get reaped, okay?"

Her eyes were full of worry, but she nodded.

All too soon, someone picked out a girl's name. I prayed silently as we held hands.

"Ryan Laurent!"

Oh, thank goodness, it was the famous celebrity's daughter. Not Tigress. I could feel her grip on my hand loosen. Now for the guys' turns to be frightened. Surprisingly though, I wasn't scared, I was just relieved that Tigress was safe for another year. I thanked my lucky stars.

"Epoch Selio!"

Tigress again gripped my hand with a new fear, but I felt confident. I patted her hand and stepped forward. She was safe, and that was all that mattered.

**District 4**

**Skylar Reminda**

Eating lunch with my family was a lot of fun. I liked watching them talk and laugh and have a good time. I sometimes piped a comment or giggled when a good joke was fired. The truth was I was really quiet. I liked to listen, instead of talking.

Derek was my nineteen year old brother who won the 54th Hunger Games, so we lived our life in luxury of Victor Village. Derek was funny, kind, and sweet.

Lacey was my seventeen year old sister who had a boyfriend and _never _stopped talking about him. Even though she was a huge flirt, she could be caring sometimes.

Jason was another brother who was fifteen. He was caring and protective of me.

My mother, Emma, was strict about manners, but loved fashion. She wore all the newest clothes imported from the Capitol.

My father was not alive because he died in a fishing accident the year before Derek won the Games. It was a very sad time, but we learned to keep him in our hearts and move on.

After a happy lunch, we all went to our rooms and got dressed. I turned on my radio and looked in my big closet for something stylish to wear. Clothes were more of my mother's passion, but I could find something good to wear too.

I picked out a green sundress to match my green eyes and black converse shoes. I resembled my father greatly, because of my black hair and eyes that were green. My other siblings matched my mother. Sometimes Derek joked about how different I was from them.

My siblings all looked nice, especially Lacey, who I thought picked out a dress way too short. Her blonde hair fell past her shoulders and her smile was gorgeous.

We took Derek's car to the reaping and parked in a special spot reserved for victors and their families. Life was good when you had a victor for a sibling.

We were taken to a special reserved spot in the square, but Lacey, Jason, and I had to go up on stage.

"Good luck," Derek said. He gave us a reassuring smile.

I went to go stand with my friend, Leah Wellasor, in the thirteen year old section. She smiled at me and told me a funny story about what happened to her and her spaghetti dinner last night. She's the kind of girl who's hyper and random and never shuts up. She's a perfect friend for me. You know what they say, opposites match.

A high and mighty lady with blue skin from the Capitol smiled and plucked a fancy slip of paper from the bowl of girls' names.

"Skylar Reminda?"

You could hear the question in her voice. Was this the same victor from three years ago? No, it was his sister!

The cameras zoomed in at Derek and at me. The crowd was utterly silent, not knowing what to think. I calmly stepped forward, although my heart was about to explode from beating so fast.

The crowd went wild and clapped, realizing that a victor's daughter was in the Games. They thought I had a chance because of it.

I glanced at Derek in the crowd and he smiled nervously. But he couldn't hide his fear for me.

**District 4**

**Blake Kaitz**

I eat lunch in the cafeteria of the orphanage with my sixteen year old brother, Jake. We used to have a sister who was the twin of Jake, but she died in the previous Hunger Games. Our parents died when I was only a little baby, so I had no idea what happened to them.

Even though I had an orphanage life, I didn't let that bring me down. I made a lot of friends and hung out with some people at the beach. Girls came to me like a fly to a spider's web and it was a pretty good life. This year, I planned to volunteer into the Games, to revenge my sister, Talianna's death.

I had a pretty good chance. One of my buddies had a collection of weapons to train from. My personal favorites were the spears, tridents, arrows, and knives. They all came to me easily. And after many years of watching the Games, I played many different strategies in my head if I were in that arena. So, I guess you could call me ready.

After a lunch of soup and pickle bread, I dressed in old skinny jeans and a tight shirt. My brown hair falls over my sea green eyes in a wave. I put on my wooden amulet with a sun carved into it. It was a gift from my parents when I was a baby. Of course, they gave it to Talianna, who gave it to me when I was old enough not to choke on the thing.

The orphanage managers rounded us all up and took us to the square. It was busy and many people were running around. Thankfully, it was a sunny day and a sea breeze cooled us off.

We got into our age groups and waited. A girl's name was picked first. Her name was Skylar Reminda, a sister of a victor. She was thirteen and cute, but don't tell anyone I said that.

Next, a boy's name was picked.

"Jake Kaitz!"

I gasped. It was my brother and all the more reason to volunteer. The crowd would think I volunteered for Jake, my brother, and think of all the sponsors I would get for that reason.

"I volunteer!" I yelled loud and proud. The crowd seemed to remember someone with the last name of Kaitz last year, and when I told them my name, they went wild again. Two tributes that were already familiar with the Games! 'What luck,' they might have thought. They didn't seem to mind we were only thirteen.

Jake looked sort of relieved, but frightened for me.

I would win for both of my siblings.


	4. District 5 & 6

**A/N: Hooray! Some more reapings! Thank you for the reviews. I really appreciate them.**

**Disclamer: I do not own the Hunger Games, or the characters in this story.**

**(Please tell me if I need to change something I am doing wrong for your character!)**

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**District 5**

**Omega Von Dirge**

"Teddy, you idiot," I scolded, glaring at him. "What makes you think I want ketchup with my outfit?"

"I told you, it looks like blood! Blood… Vampires… Get it?" he argued.

I glanced down at my outfit. I was wearing a short, black mini dress with leggings and blood red spike heels. My tattoos shined and my dyed red hair gleamed. My teeth were sharpened and ready to bite anybody who got too close. My pale skin shone against the dress with my lavender colored eyes.

"Vampire? Whatever makes you think I'm a vampire?" I grinned.

He slapped his head.

"Anyway, what do you want besides adding ketchup to my outfit?" I asked.

"Mom and dad said it's time to go."

"Coming," I grumbled. It's another reaping day full of joy.

Outside, my high heels clacked against the stone street. I got several glances from other people as I walked by to the square. I even heard someone say, "Who is that freak?"

I whipped my head around at the thirteen year old boy and glared at him.

"Who do you think you are?" I shouted. He nervously backed away as I smiled. "Aw, are you scared? Come here, I don't bite." I licked my lips.

The boy took off running and I continued my perfect walk with my family.

"What a beautiful day," I said.

The square was busy and I said goodbye to my parents and got on stage. I felt several other fifteen year olds stare me down. I looked at each one of them hard, and they turned away instantly.

I found Alpha, my best buddy, and he gave me a chocolate covered strawberry.

"Happy reaping!" he said.

I hugged him and ate the delicate strawberry. Those things are my weakness.

Anyways, a blah, blah, blah, lady picked out a girl's name. She grabbed the slip with her perfect pink fingernails.

"Omega Von Dirge!"

I almost spewed out my strawberry. I grinned. Well this was new. Maybe Ishould have grabbed the ketchup for effect.

Darn it.

**District 5**

**Tancered Ride**

I wished it was a cloudy day instead. Why have a sunny, cloudless, and happy day on the day someone would start their funeral? It made no sense.

My mother worked so hard to keep the house. It was only me and her, my father died so long ago. So I was grateful when she brought home bread, butter, and jam.

I spread the butter on a moldy lump of bread and stared straight forward. I was always grim, but today was an especially dark day because of the reaping.

After eating until I could eat no more bread, I went into my small room to dress. I put on a black shirt with many hidden pockets, black cargo pants, and combat boots. I let my longish black hair go untouched. I wasn't one to dress fancy.

We started the walk to the reaping. Many other families were rushing out of their homes too. Children were screaming and playing along the sidewalk. Little did they know about the Hunger Games.

When we arrived, the square was almost full and everyone was nearly there. I gave a slight wave to my mother and left her to get up on stage. She muttered a soft "good luck" before I took off.

The other fifteen year olds looked nervous. I think one girl even started to pee her pants.

I sighed.

A young lady dressed in the wildest outfit stepped forward and drew a girl's name. It was a girl named Omega and she was just plain freaky, let's keep it at that.

Then the young lady pulled out a boy's name.

"Tancered Ride!"

Since it's just my luck, I stepped forward. The young lady who pulled my name out engulfed me with questions.

"Are you excited, Tancered?"

Well, I had nothing to lose.

**District 6**

**Jewel Johnson**

I wrote in my poetry journal and sighed. What was life anymore? It didn't make sense. I think I had what people called a depression, but who knows? We couldn't afford any medication anyways. I think that's one of the reasons I'm volunteering. Life has no more meaning for me.

My sister, Chloe, called for me to get ready for the reaping.

I took out a plain white dress made out of my old ragged curtains. I grabbed my nice shoes that were hand me downs from my mom and dressed in my outfit. I had to do that sometimes. Survive off of things I made on my own or use old items.

I hopped to our small living room where everyone was waiting for me, taking my poetry journal and pencil with me. We started to walk to the square where my fate would continue.

A few years ago, there was a girl named Lella who almost won the Games. She was only twelve, and she survived off her own wits and hiding from the Careers, trusting no one. She made her own things and learned which foods were good or not. She finally died when the winner found her while she was sleeping. I planned to be like Lella, win the Games, and come in first, instead of coming in second though.

My family didn't know I was going to volunteer. If they did, they'd try to stop me, especially Chloe.

We arrived at the square and I ran on to the broken stage and waited. Other twelve years old around me were dead silent as if they were quiet, they could avoid death.

Georgina Cour, the person who pulls out the names every year, smiled at us and picked a girl's name out. Several people crossed their fingers.

"Jewel Johnson!"

What luck! Now I wouldn't have to explain to my family why.

I was so happy, but I needed to mask my emotions. I started to sob and others around me patted me on the back.

This is what I wanted. If I won the Games, maybe I could get some help.

**District 6**

**Sam Trainor**

My ten year old brother and sister who were twins were quarreling over the last piece of bread. It was getting very annoying, so I stepped in and grabbed it.

"Hey!" they whined.

I split it in half and gave them each a piece. They grumbled about it, but they were happy enough.

"Hey, lighten up you two." I smiled. "We'll have a good supper tonight, okay? It'll be fun and we'll all play a game together."

"Can we act like we're in the Hunger Games?" one asked.

"Sure," I answered. "Now go on and get ready for the reaping."

They ran off and I myself went to get ready. I combed my short brown hair and put on my nicest outfit. Afterwards, I splashed cold water onto my face to revive myself and soon the family was out the door.

My parents, who work very hard, were going to prepare a good dinner out of the small amount of money they had. We would eat it after the reaping and celebrate with games and cups of milk. Milk, as in fresh milk from the cow in the square this morning. Milk was always on sale during special holidays.

When we got there, I say hello to many people I know. I am known very well in District 6. Everyone knows me as the boy who's always smiling and cheerful. I love to please people.

I walk up on the crumbled stage and wave to my friends at school in the fifteen year old section. Fifteen. That's how old I am now. It's the middle age of the Hunger Games. I'll be halfway through being eligible for the Hunger Games after this year.

Georgina Cour picked out a girl's name and it was Jewel Johnson. I knew her from school; she was the sad one who never talked to anyone. She started to cry and I felt very sorry for her.

Next, Georgina went to pick out a boy's name. I saw the twins out in the crowd and I gave them a reassuring grin.

"Sam Trainor!"

My grin faded.


	5. District 7 & 8

**A/N: I hope for some of creators of the orphan tributes, you don't mind that I made up where they lived and how they survived. If you do not like what I did, please PM me. Anyway, another set of reapings. We're going through these very quickly!**

**Disclamer: I do not own the Hunger Games, or the characters in this story.**

**(Please tell me if I need to change something I am doing wrong for your character!)**

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**District 7**

**Leellia Sapnol**

I brushed my brown hair out of the way of my eyes. I took a step forward in the sunlight and scowled. Did the Capitol plan this sunny day? I'd much rather it be raining. It soothed me when I was scared. Was I scared today? I don't know. I had no family or friends to be scared for or to leave anyway.

I ate a bruised banana from one of the trash bins of the mayor's house. Why would they throw out perfectly good food? Didn't they realize there were several hungry people in the streets?

I was seventeen and you might find me useless with no knowledge. But I was witty and clever. I watched the Hunger Games in the square and went to school. No one knew I was alone, but when I hit eighteen, I would get a job and make money.

This was my sixth reaping, or my sixth time to be condemned to death. Either term works.

I flipped the banana peel back into the trash bin and began walking to the reaping in a short fiery red dress. I got it from one of the girls from school.

I was not exactly poor or homeless. I bunked at other people's houses. I was lucky enough to get my hands on the dress.

I got to the square on time and went up on stage. Ursa Danille picked a girl's name out.

I could do it if I really wanted to. I was cunning enough to know how to outsmart the others. I wasn't stupid like you'd think me to be. I read books and textbooks that were thrown out and learned information. Information that wasn't to be read from innocent girls who came wandering over to trash bins.

"Leellia Sapnol!"

I clutched my locket with a tiny silver axe hooked to my neck.

**District 7**

**Tasturn Nype**

I was an orphan in a small orphanage home. All nine of us were pushed outside into the woody tree area. The square was a mile away walk and we were a little late.

"Come on, get going!" said the leader.

We walked in a single file line to the reaping. What fun. Two of the four girls squealed when they saw a rabbit.

"It's so cute," one said.

"I SAID GET GOING!" the leader urged.

I rolled my eyes and kept walking on the trail that led us to the square. The woods had a piney scent to it that smelled like pinecones and syrup. The sun was high overhead making it hot, but at least the trees gave off shade.

One guy named Cart pushed into me.

"Oops, sorry Tasturn," he said. He laughed along with three other guys about how stupid I was.

I turned around, grabbed him, and lifted him above the ground. His feet dangled and he started to yell for help. Some of his buddies came to his rescue and started to punch at me. The two girls who were interested in rabbits screamed for their lives. The other two girls fled away from the group and stayed behind in their own little world. The leader yelled for us to break it up. Finally, he grabbed us both apart.

"He started it!" Cart protested. "He should be punished!"

"Shut up," I growled. Eyes flashed to me. Even the two outcast girls, who never paid attention to anything, stared at me.

"Since when do you talk?" Cart asked.

I turned away and returned onto the trail, which we had fallen off course heavily. They followed, but none of us uttered a word.

When we arrived at the square, we were almost late. We scrambled to our places on stage. Unfortunately, I was stuck standing next to Cart in the seventeen year old section. We stared at each other.

Before we knew it, a girl was called. Then a guy.

"Band Ecod!"

I had to get out of that stupid orphanage.

"I volunteer!" I shouted louder than I ever had before.

**District 8**

**Raina Capperide**

I brushed my long black hair with a small comb. I cleaned my teeth with a toothbrush and put on a black dress. My green eyes glared in the mirror. I tilted my head a little bit and smiled. There, that was better.

I lived with my sister, Prunia Capperide, and we lived together in a small house. Today was the oh-how-exciting-for-the-Capitol reaping day!

I pranced out of the bathroom straight into Lorrena Consmith, my best friend.

"I'm here!" she said. "Do you have anything I can have to eat? I didn't have breakfast."

I nodded my head lightly and led her to the kitchen. I gave her a grain bar with little nuts in it. She opened it and I watched as she devoured it.

"So, what's up?" she said with a mouthful of grain. I flinched as spit flung everywhere.

"Nothing," I replied. "How about you?"

This was her favorite part because she got to listen to herself talking.

I nodded once in awhile, half listening, while trying to clean up the mess in the kitchen. I scrubbed the pots and pans with warm water while Lorrena sat on the counter and blabbed.

"And my mother had enough money to buy me this!" she said. I looked at her pearl necklace that was adorned in a perfect white color. I felt myself get overcome with envy, and not because of the necklace. I didn't even have a mother to give me a present on reaping day, and like Prunia had the money to spend on me! We had trouble paying off the house.

I cleverly told her it was nice, but not as pretty as the Capitol's. She shut up after that.

After I was finished cleaning, we walked together to the reaping. Prunia was going to be walking by herself straight from the place she worked at, so we walked alone.

It was our last year of the reapings, so we were pretty excited. I had signed up for tessarae, not because we desperately needed it, but because it would help with food and I was certain I wouldn't be reaped. Someone else who had more family members and signed up for more tessarae would be picked instead.

"Raina Capperide!"

Okay, maybe not.

Lorrena squealed and pushed me forward. Obviously she thought this would make her more popular in front of the cameras.

Bleh.

**District 8**

**Wesley Eldridge**

I strung the piece of cloth on my area of machine. It was supposed to be part of a yellow sundress. The others at my work station worked on other parts of the dress like the sleeves, straps, and edges.

I was the youngest at my wing and I got promoted very easily for good sewing and perfect stitches. Others, who were a good couple ages older than me, fumbled with their strings and messed up a lot.

After getting my weekly pay, I started toward the square. Even though I worked in the factories, I was only fourteen and I needed to be up on that stage. I made one quick stop before heading on though. I stopped at a small bakery shop outside of the square.

I embraced the smells of cheesy breads, apple tarts, and baked chocolate donuts, slices of fresh cinnamon and pickle bread, and dark velvet cake. I spared a few of my coins for a pinky length sugar roll with cream icing on top. Sugar rolls were always the cheapest in the store, but certainly not considered 'cheap.'

As I walked out the bakery, I realized the reaping was about to start. I ran while eating the sugar roll in small bites on stage. I went to my aged area.

A girl named Raina was called and ushered off the stage. Apparently, her friend was screaming with encouragement.

Then, a boy was to be picked.

"Wesley Eldridge!"

Wow. I guess I never expected it to be like this. Right here, right now, wiping the crumbs of the sugar roll off my face.

I stepped forward.


	6. District 9 & 10

**A/N: More reapings. :)**

**Disclamer: I do not own the Hunger Games, or the characters in this story.**

**(Please tell me if I need to change something I am doing wrong for your character!)**

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**District 9**

**Eira Talbot**

I stroked my father's soft face and gazed into his closed eyes. He was not dead, but was sleeping and building up rest. He was horribly ill.

Aya and Miki came up from behind and told me that lunch was ready. I nodded and gave my father's hand a kiss before leaving.

At the table, there were the prized two rabbits Elan and I hunted. Desna, my brother, and my mother also sat at the table waiting. I took my seat at the table across from Miki and next to Aya. Elan was to my right.

We ate the rabbits cooked by my mother. It was good, meaty, and greasy. I finished off a rabbit leg before asking to be excused. I needed to get ready for the reaping.

I put on a light pink dress that was my mothers. It was old and fringed over the years of being in the musty closet. I put on work shoes, because I grew out of the old nice shoes I used to wear. I handed them down to Aya a year ago, who was thirteen. My short dark hair stuck out, so I tried to pat it down with my hands. It didn't obey.

"Eira!" Desna screams. "Time to go!"

I went back to the kitchen and saw everyone else was ready. We all looked nice, but not too fancy. We didn't have the money for new dresses or golden jewelry.

My father groaned in my parents' room.

"You guys go on ahead," my mother said. "I'll be there in a second." She rushed to where my father was trying to sleep.

We all stepped into the sunlight and walked to the reaping. It was a breezy day with a warm feeling to it. The trees rustled slightly and birds chirped in their nests.

As if Elan had read my mind he told us, "It is a beautiful day."

It was and I liked it. I hoped it signaled that Elan, Aya, or I would not be picked in the reaping.

We arrived and went up on stage to our roped areas. The reaping started and after a while, a girl's name was picked. It was a happy day. I was not frightened at all.

"Eira Talbot!"

Now I was afraid.

**District 9**

**Timmy Hemja**

I grabbed a small lunch at Apen's house. I had stayed at his house the previous night. My parents were abusive and I had to get away. Rarely have I ever gone back to them.

I went into his small bathroom to dress in a black shirt and black pants. I didn't really care about dressing for the reapings. It was not worth dressing for. My jet black hair was combed and my brown eyes stared at the person in the mirror. I sighed.

Apen and I headed to the reaping in search of our next two tributes. The previous year, our tributes died quickly in the bloodbath. This year, Apen and I are determined to get someone better. Not that we would do any good ourselves.

The square was packed when we got there. Twelve year olds were shaken in their section on stage, and the eighteen year olds were grim. Apen and I went to the eighteen year old section.

People around us were already celebrating, thinking they were safe. But none of us were, not yet at least.

Our mayor talked about the history of Panem and our past victors. District 9 did not have a lot of victors, unlike District 1, 2, and 4.

The microphone was passed onto a Capitol lady dressed in green. She always dressed in green every year, but she was a pretty nice person.

"First, we will start off with our ladies," she said with a green lipstick smile. She walked up to the bowl and picked out a girl's name.

"Eira Talbot!"

It was that girl with the ill father, who never came to school anymore. Word got around, because District 9 has very gossipy schools.

Next, the green Capitol lady went to the boys' bowl and picked out a boy's name. She waited until she had our attention before saying the name.

"Timmy Hemja!"

I stood there realizing that it sounded like someone familiar. Oh yeah!

Crap!

**District 10**

**Jenilee 'Jay' Hunter**

_I try to run to her, but she is too far away._

"_Jay!" she screams. Her bloody hand reaches out to me. Her eyes were struck with a new fear, a fear I've never witnessed before._

"_I'm coming!"_

_I am so close, but yet so far. Every time I get close to her, I get pulled away and I start the cycle over._

"_Jay!" _

"Joyce!" I screamed. Her final attempt to say my name still ringed in my ears. Sweat clung to my t-shirt and I shivered, pulling the covers over me. I think I had a slight fever.

It was only a dream.

I had been sleeping at my friend's house in the middle of the afternoon. I glanced outside and saw the sun was high over head. Oh no, I was probably going to be late!

I rushed to the kitchen and found a note scrawled on it.

"_We are going to the reaping early, Jay. We wanted to let you sleep a little longer. Get a strip of beef from the pantry and we'll meet you there. Love, Amber."_

Amber was my friend who let me stay at her house. I was grateful, because I was an orphan. I had no parents and Joyce was killed when she was five. I didn't like to talk about it.

I combed my black hair with my fingers and splashed my face with water. I pushed the loose strands of hair in my face away and hurried out the door, but not before grabbing a strip of beef. I had slept later than I had expected.

I gnawed on the beef while thinking about my nightmare. Joyce. The subject always made me so sad to think about. She had been my only family member left, but now she was gone. She was raped and killed when she was only _five_.

I barely made it to the reaping and had given a slight wave to Amber, before the mayor started talking. He talked about livestock and the history of District 10. Then, our escort picked a name out.

"Pell Nance!"

"I volunteer!" I yelled. I had a fuzzy feeling inside me that told me to do so.

My ears started to ring. Amber glanced at me, horrified. I brushed the hair out of my eyes and stepped forward.

This was for Joyce.

**District 10**

**Indigo Wood**

I had the hard job of milking the cows. My sister had the luxury of rounding up the animals and putting them back into their stalls. It didn't take her long and she was back in the cool shade of the house in no time.

After the buckets were full, I carried them into the house to be cleaned later and sold. I retreated into my room to dress for the reaping and to get ready.

I put on clean clothes and I attempted to get the snarls out of my stringy dark blonde hair. Failing, I put on my best shoes that were only pooped on by a pig once. Don't worry; they were washed after that though.

My sister came in and signaled me to hurry up.

"We have to go, come on!" she said, annoyingly.

I hated my sister. I hated my parents. I didn't ever talk to them anymore. I drifted through life on my own; there was no need to talk to them. I did things on my own and didn't bother them. I just did what was told on the farm.

Today was special, because my sister and I did not have to do nearly as much work as we did on regular days. Apparently, reaping day was 'special' to my parents. It certainly wasn't special to me, so that was another reason I disliked my parents. Why did they like reaping day so much?

I walked with my family to the reaping. We didn't speak with each other though.

When we got there, we parted ways. We didn't mutter any good lucks or anything. I went to the sixteen year old section.

A girl was called and probably for the first time in District 10, another girl volunteered for her. Her name was Jenilee Hunter and I recognized her from around school. She was only thirteen though. She was clutching something on her neck, and as I squinted, I made out a silver crescent moon and wolf necklace.

Next, a boy's name was called.

"Indigo Wood!"

I guess I should have seen it coming.


	7. District 11 & 12

**A/N: Our last set of reapings! I'm so excited! I also have the train ride chapter done, and it was really fun to write! I will post it soon. Just to let you know, the next six chapters may take a little bit more to write, since I'm adding more words to each character. I will try to write quickly. Each of the twenty-four tributes will get an equal point of view in the next six chapters. Don't worry, I've picked names out of a basket, and no one is left out. Like I said, I had a lot of fun writing the train ride chapter, so I hope this mean I'll write them fast, and we can get to the Games faster!**

**I also had a lot of fun writing the reapings. I love the characters and getting to work with them. I just want to thank the people who submitted to my story and made this story possible! Thank you!**

**Disclamer: I do not own the Hunger Games, or the characters in this story.**

**(Please tell me if I need to change something I am doing wrong for your character!)**

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**District 11**

**Zea Dillum**

My thirteen year old sister, Pollen, brushed my hair with a comb. She took her time smoothing every last stand of hair that was tangled. She had a lot of patience, where I would lose interest and go do something more time consuming.

Pollen finished brushing and used my piece of rope to tie my hair into a bun. I looked into the mirror we shared and I found that my thick hair looked almost silky in the bun it was in.

"Thank you, Pollen," I said, giving her a hug. She smiled.

"Now promise me you won't get picked," she replied.

"Why are you worried about me?" I asked. "You should be worried about you."

"You're the one with all the chances of getting picked," she said.

It was true; I was the oldest one in the family still eligible to get picked for the Hunger Games. I had an older sister, but she was twenty-three, and my little brother was only three. So, only Pollen and I had to worry about the reapings, for now at least.

Pollen and I dressed in our nicest clothes we could find, which were clean t-shirts and clean sets of jeans. We tried our best to make ourselves look presentable.

"Come on, girls," said Sitara, my older sister. "It's time to go."

My family gathered together, all six of us, and we headed to the square. Mason, my little brother, stopped at every little flower on the side of the road. He picked one for each of us.

"Here you go," he said in his little voice. I treasured my flower and put it in my pocket for good luck.

When we got there, the square was already filled with everybody. We usually didn't see everyone else, since our fields and farms were so far apart from each other. It was always a treat every year to see friends outside of school.

Pollen and I climbed the stage together and hugged goodbye.

"Don't you worry, Pollen," I told her, going to the seventeen year old section.

After a lot of talking in the microphone, we all held our breath for a girl's name to be picked. The silence was absolutely quiet.

"Zea Dillum!"

People frowned as I stepped forward. District 11 always hated when good-working people were picked as tributes. They hated when _anyone_ was reaped.

I stepped forward, sad that I had been picked. But obviously, there were no volunteers. I would have to go into the 57th Hunger Games.

**District 11**

**Clement Polvay**

It was my third reaping alone. My mother died at childbirth, and my father died soon after. I was transported to an orphanage, but I ran away when I was nine. I have been pretending to live with an uncle, but I really don't. I was on my own.

Right now, I was at Damien's house. Damien was my friend, and the only I could trust.

I cleaned up in his bathroom and washed my face. I had been crying, but only just a little. It was a hard topic thinking about my parents and my life. But I was tough, I could get through it.

"Hey, Clement?" Damien knocked on the door. "Are you ready to go? It's time."

I opened the door and nodded. I was ready to face another one of those wretched reapings.

I walked with his family of four to the reaping. It was strangely quiet, like it always was when reaping day came around. Everyone hated reaping day.

The sun was hot and bright today, making my skin a little darker. I was African American, so my skin was already a nice shade of brown. But you wouldn't know that, because everyone in District 11 had a dark tan to them from being out in the sun all day.

We arrived at the square and Damien and I went up on stage to the fourteen year old roped off areas. We waited anxiously without saying a word.

A girl's name was picked first, like always.

"Zea Dillum!"

She was a tanned girl with her hair in a bun. She was seventeen.

Then, it was the boys' turns to be frightened. But they had nothing to be frightened of, because the name had already been called.

"Clement Polvay!"

**District 12**

**Thyme Dija**

I stood there, staring at the fence with hatred. The electricity ran through it making a very loud buzzing noise. Anyone who got too close would be fried. One day, they will forget to turn on the electricity and it will let people go into the great unknown woods, just like my sister wanted to try.

A tear rolled down my face as I remembered my dead sister. Her seven year old body had lain lifeless next to the fence years ago. She ran away wanting freedom and to live somewhere far away from District 12. Well, she got her wish. She was far away in the kingdom above.

I ran back to my house in the Seam where my family lived. My mother greeted me as I walked in, seeing my red face from the tears. She dropped the pan she was washing in the sink and came to embrace me.

"It'll be okay, Thyme," she whispered in my ear. "I know how much you miss her, but if you really love her, you'll let her go."

I nodded, breathless in her arms. I shrugged her off and ran to my room.

I dressed in a dark blue shirt, a black skirt, and dark leather boots. Black was my color for mourning, my color for my sister.

After letting my curly black hair as it was, I went back to where my mother was cleaning in the kitchen. She finished up and she told me I could go ahead and walk to the reaping. She said my father and she would be there in a jiffy.

So I opened the door and walked ahead, grieving another reaping. By the time I made it to the square and up the stage, I saw my parents in the crowd.

The mayor lists off the victors of the past, and so far we've only had two. A guy who was in his fifties, and someone around his twenties named Haymitch. He won the Quarter Quell seven years ago and his dark eyes stared harshly at the crowd.

"Geeta Pye!"

The twelve year old girl broke down, tears flowing down her eyes. She knew no one would volunteer for her.

I stepped forward.

"I volunteer!"

The crowd went silent and Geeta rushed up to hug me. I believe it was a thank you.

I did this so Geeta would have the life I never got to treasure, so her life would not be ruined. I did this in honor of my dead sister.

**District 12**

**Emton Jilius**

I looked up as the girl volunteered.

"I'm Thyme Dija," she said. The little girl named Geeta, clung to her like a little sister. Some people in the audience broke into tears, because the sight was so touching.

You might be wondering who I am. I am Emton Jilius, a boy who lives in District 12 and is fifteen. Hello, how are you?

I had no family and no more meaning for life. The truth was I couldn't care less for the girl who volunteered for the girl who was twelve. It simply didn't matter; Thyme was going to die anyway. A Career would probably win, like always.

After the audience got over the shock of a volunteer, the Capitol lady who pulled the names out smiled.

"Well, that was certainly a new change," she said. "Now for the boy tribute."

She picked a boy's name out.

"Emton Jilius!"

I stepped forward, but no one clapped.

"Well, congratulations to our new tributes!" said the Capitol lady. "Let's give a round of applause to these two young tributes."

No one did.

Thyme and I were led off the stage where we were put into a car. Yes, an actual car from the Capitol. The car took us to the Justice Building where we were to say our goodbyes. I had no one to say goodbye to, but Thyme had her parents.

There was a lot of sobbing from her parents and hugs and what not. I sat at the other side of the room in a cushioned chair.

After the hour was up, we were taken to a train. We were pushed on and we were headed to the Capitol.

Here we go.


	8. A Little Ride to Death

**A/N: Yay, the train ride chapter! Haymitch is also in this chapter, and he might be a little OOC. I don't know, you can be the judge of that. Anyway, I'm almost done with the chariot chapter which is up next. I hope you enjoy this one though.**

**Disclamer: I do not own the Hunger Games, or the characters in this story.**

**(Please tell me if I need to change something I am doing wrong for your character!)**

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**District 11**

**Clement Polvay**

Zea and I were silent, not knowing what to think. We accepted the fact that we had been picked, but we still thought it was unfair. Right now, we were on the train to the Capitol.

"I can't believe it," she said. "Did you see my sister, Pollen? She wouldn't stop crying."

I had seen her sister. She had waterworks flowing down and she had muttered something about a promise to come back out alive. No one came to see me goodbye, except Damien. Even then, it was very awkward when we talked with each other.

"Yeah, I wonder when we'll meet our mentors," I told her.

"That would be now," said a gruff voice. A man in his forties and a woman in her thirties appeared. The man had gray hair sticking out of his head. The woman looked more presentable, with shiny hair and a nice dress.

"Hello, I'm Kolli," she held her hand out to both of us. "I will be Zea's mentor, but I will see you around too, Clement."

I nodded to her in greeting. Then I waited for the gray headed man to introduce himself.

"Come with me," he rudely said, taking me to a room and shutting the door behind. The room was white and it looked soundproof. No one would eavesdrop on us and no one would hear me scream by being killed by this scary man.

"Okay, boy," he said. "For the next week, you will be trained into hard work by your mentor."

"Who's my mentor?" I asked confused.

He pounded his fist upon the table. We were sitting down in two chairs facing each other.

"I am, you fool!" he yelled.

I fearfully leaned back into my chair.

"Now, you are to call me Rento, got that?" He asked. "That is my name."

I nodded.

"Good," he said, satisfied. "Tell me your skills, boy."

"I can run fast," I said.

"Well, you'll certainly need that in the Games!" he roared with laughter. "Tell me about your fighting skills. Do you do well with weapons?"

"Not really," I said truthfully. "I guess I use knives for cutting plants in the fields, but usually I just use my hands."

"Hand to hand combat, eh?" he asks.

"Yeah, but maybe if I looked at some weapons, I could choose one to my liking," I said.

"Yes, once you get to the Capitol, we will train you with some weapons," he said gruffly. "There are many toys to play with there." He gave me a crooked smile with yellow teeth.

I laughed nervously.

"You know what?" he asked. "I like you. You aren't a squirrely little tribute. You'll be good in the arena. Now, let's go eat. I'm starving."

He led me to the dining room where I sat down in a nice chair. Zea and Kolli were already there, feasting on good food. A server looked at me, as if wanting directions.

"Tell the Avox what you want, boy," Rento said.

"Anything?" I asked.

"Anything," he confirmed.

"I want.. everything." I breathe.

Rento laughs.

**District 3**

**Epoch 'Mouse' Selio**

I rolled the engagement ring in my hands. The train pulled away from District 3. Ryan sat across from me, staring intensely.

"Hi, I'm Ryan." She took her hand from her lap and stuck it out. I shook it lightly. She was seventeen like me.

"What a day," she made out of her dramatic sigh.

"Aw, was the day a little too much for the celebrity's daughter?" I taunted. Geesh, famous people.

She turned on me with a glare. "I hate my mother! I hate when people compare me to her! You have no right to say that!" She huffed and crossed her arms. "You don't know me. You're just one of those 'judge by looks and history' people."

"Wait, you hate your mother?" I asked.

"Yeah," she said a little calmer. "She always whines that I'm not the daughter she always wanted. She doesn't like what I do. She hates that I go out on cruises with my best friend and she talks to the fans about how she wishes her daughter was better. Today was a horrible day for me. Today, she looked at me in the crowd when I was reaped and smiled with relief. Smiled with relief! Can you believe that? She hates me!"

I listened to her ramble.

"I don't even know why I'm telling you this," she muttered.

"Well, it was worse for me," I said.

"What could be worse than my situation?" she spat.

"I can no longer propose to the girl I love more than anything in the world."

"Oh," she says softly. "I'm sorry I got all worked up."

"It's okay."

"What's her name?"

"Tigress."

We fell quiet after that and awkwardly sat in silence. After awhile, I got up and told Ryan I would go in search of our mentors. She nodded.

I found a bathroom, several bedrooms, and a chocolate fountain. So far so good. I heard argument in a room and I stopped to listen behind the door.

"I don't care, Dellan, I will not mentor again after what happened!"

"Sierra, if you don't, then the boy will not have a mentor! You have to!"

"No, I will not! I will not watch another tribute die by my mentoring! I won't do it." I heard footsteps and the door opened. I stared into the face of the blue-eyed Sierra.

"If you don't mind, Ryan and I have been waiting for more than an hour," I said angrily. "Do you think you could spare a couple of minutes to talk to us instead of arguing?"

Dellan stepped forward and nodded. "Sierra, you've got Epoch. I've got Ryan." He walked off to the waiting room where Ryan was, before I could tell him I was called Mouse.

"So," Sierra said. She was in her twenties and I recognized her as a past victor. "How much of that did you hear?"

"Enough to tell you I'm determined I won't die," I said. I ran my fingers through my gelled up dark hair.

"They're always brave at first," she said. She covered her face with her hands.

I grabbed her hand. "Listen, if you're not going to mentor me, then fine. But I won't just give up, because I have a girl to get home to. A girl that I love."

**District 12**

**Thyme Dija**

Our mentors and escort engulfed us right away.

"I'm Telly, your Capitol escort." Telly beamed. "I'm so pleased to be your escort. Tell me if there's anything you need!"

She scurried off, before we could say hello back.

"I'm Darwin," the fifty year old man said. "I will be Emton's mentor. Haymitch will be Thyme's mentor."

Great. Haymitch stares at me with a dark interest.

"Do you guys want to be coached together or separate?" Darwin asked.

"It doesn't matter," Emton said.

"Together is fine," I said.

"Good, then let's go into a quiet room and get started," Darwin said, leading us to an empty room with a few chairs. Emton and I sit down in two.

"What do you guys know about the Games?" asked Haymitch. I realized it was the first time I had heard him talk since the 50th Hunger Games, when I was nine. He was a little older now.

"To survive?" I tried.

"Avoid the cornucopia?" Emton asked.

"Try to avoid the Careers?"

"Find a source of water?"

"Dodge the Gamemakers' traps?"

"Those are all good things to remember." Darwin nodded. "You guys might be a good group after all. Little ole' Haymitch here, doubted you guys would be any good. You were wrong after all, weren't you Haymitch?"

"No," he said. "They have a good sense of knowledge, but do they know how to fight?"

Darwin lifts his eyebrows in question.

"Nope," Emton said. He yawned.

"I know many ways to defend myself," I started. "I know how to kill a person many different ways with a spoon. My father taught me self defense."

"Well, can't deny that, can you Haymitch?" Darwin laughed.

Haymitch sneered.

"Alright, how about we go eat?" Darwin asked. "I have a craving for lobster chowder and chocolate cake."

We went to the dining room and found the table filled with all the foods you could think of. I sat down with my jaw dropped down. I was in shock. There were shrimp tails, rabbit legs dipped in orange sauce, oysters in a salty butter glaze, bread with sesame seeds, fruit salad with fruits I've never heard of, chicken with shavings of vanilla on top, fried potatoes with onions, and my personal favorite, waffles with ice cream on top. Who does that anyway? Yum.

A special waiter offered me some wine. I shook my head, because one time I tried it back home and it made me very dizzy, and I got a headache.

Haymitch accepts it happily and gets two more refills of it too.

"You know," I tell him. "You might grow up to be a drunken man if you drink too much."

He rolled his eyes and shook his head.

"Like that will ever happen," he said back.

**District 6**

**Jewel Johnson**

I wrote in my poetry journal, while waiting for my mentor. My fellow District 6 tribute tried to make small chit chat. I knew he was only trying to break the ice. He was scared.

Not that I wasn't, but I was ready for the Hunger Games. It was luck that I was picked in the reaping, instead of having to volunteer. I remembered Chloe and how she was devastated that I had been reaped. She would have been very sad if I had volunteered.

The mentors finally came around after awhile and greeted us. My mentor's name was Harah and she was fairly new. She won the Hunger Games ten years back. Her blonde curls and gorgeous face had gotten sponsors in the Games.

"Hello, darling," she said. We sat down on a couch together. "You are Jewel Johnson, correct?"

I nodded.

"Let's start by getting to know each other." She turned to me and put her head in her hands in a thinking position. "What's your favorite color?"

I thought about it carefully. Was it a trick question?

"Blue," I say, cautiously. "Because it's calm and cool."

"What is your favorite food?"

"Chocolate," I said, well thought out. I had a crumb of the bittersweet treat once, when I found it on an empty wrapper in the trash can in the square.

It went on like that. She'd ask pointless questions and I would answer them honestly. Just when I thought I would ask her why she was asking them, she asked a different question.

"If you were put in the arena with a family member, would you kill them for your life to be lived?"

I stood up fast and almost knocked a table over.

"What kind of question is that?" I asked. I looked her in the face and she stared back, just as cold.

"You didn't answer my question," she said calmly.

"You didn't answer mine," I said. "I'm done with this game." I left her sitting in the comfy little room and went in search of a bathroom. When I found one, it had words on the door.

"Reserved for tributes only," I read. I shrugged and pushed the door open and went in. I got in to the shower and pushed a button. Warm water flooded my mind and temporarily blocked out my thoughts. After five minutes, I shut it off and got new clothes from the cabinet. It was something I would have never worn back home. Again, I was haunted with the question.

"_If you were put in the arena with a family member, would you kill them for your life to be lived?"_

I grabbed my poetry notebook on the floor and scribbled in it on the bathroom floor. The floor reeked of the smell of roses and berries. It was a sick Capitol scented smell.

I hated my mentor. What kind of question was that, anyway? What was my problem? Of course I would never kill a family member.

Or would I? I was in the Games, after all.


	9. Sparkles, Trees, & Oinks

**A/N: This chapter was fun to make! I hope you like it. Remember, if your tribute hasn't been in the last chapter or this one, they will eventually get a turn sometime in the next four. **

**Disclamer: I do not own the Hunger Games, or the characters in this story.**

**(Please tell me if I need to change something I am doing wrong for your character!)**

* * *

**District 3**

**Ryan Laurent**

"She's gorgeous!" screamed my prep team, as they fluffed my silky brown hair. "Well, what do you expect from L'Wren's daughter?"

L'Wren was my famous mother. Yuck.

They commented on my blue eyes and my perfect shape. I rolled my eyes and sighed. I hated attention.

My stylist, Craul, scratched his thick purple hair. Everything about him was purple. He had purple lips, eye shadow, mascara, blush, clothes, jewelry, earrings, and even his eye color was purple. He probably had contacts on.

"We are planning something very eye catching for your chariot outfit," he said, his voice heavy with a rich purple feeling. This person was all over that color. "We are going to give you a stunning costume, but you must trust us." He turned the chair I was sitting in, away from the mirror. I stared into his violet eyes.

"Fine," I said. "Do whatever you want."

The prep team squealed and got to work. They made my hair shine and my skin free of any visible hair to the eye. Oh, and it wasn't just pull and be done. It was _painful._ Craul made me wear a blindfold as he dressed me in a gown that was strangely heavy against my skin. My prep team put a lot of make-up on my face and pinched my skin with something hard. My eyelids and ears had the feeling they were pierced. _What were they doing to me?_

It took a very long time to get me perfect. Craul and my prep team said words of encouragement of how beautiful I looked. I hoped I didn't look like a dunce.

After a while more, Craul took off my blindfold and told me to open my eyes. He turned the swivel chair to face the mirror and I opened my eyes.

"Oh my gosh," I breathed.

My skin was pale white with powder and my face was covered with bright colored gems. They each had a different color. There was one on my nose, some on my eyelids and ears, and two on my cheeks. My gown was pure white, with the exception of the gems. They were beautiful as they blinked lights and changed colors. My shoes were glass and flashing with different types of colors.

My district was technology and electronics. I was an electronic myself and I was speechless. I stood up and examined myself closely in the mirror. My prep team nervously stepped back.

"Well, do you like it?" Craul asked.

I smiled and turned to them. "It's beautiful!" I ran to hug each one of them and they laughed. No one would overlook me in the crowd. My mother would actually be proud, maybe just once. My mother's fans would look at me with wow in their eyes. I would finally not be ignored.

It was time to go and I caught a glimpse of my district partner. Mouse was adorned in a flashy gemmed outfit like I was. We both looked stunning.

We stood in our chariots with the two white horses clopping down the pathway. Our stylists walked outside of the chariot. Our chariot went after District 2 and the crowd screamed when they saw District 3. They recognized L'Wren's daughter.

I smiled and found my mother sitting in the front row. I choked only slightly and looked up to see what her expression was. Her smirk glared at me as the chariot went by.

**District 7**

**Tasturn Nype**

Any hair was plucked. Anything they disliked was changed or cleaned. My skin hurt until I couldn't take it anymore. Even then, I didn't complain. I might've growled slightly in the throat a couple of times though.

"There now, you're doing fine," said the heavy, accented Capitol voice of Clora. She was my stylist. She had a couple of cronies with her who helped her with her work on me.

"You're a scruffy one," she said. "But we have the perfect chariot outfit for you and Leellia." Her smile was almost deadly, like she was planning our deaths. Leellia was in another room, but I bet she was being tortured by the Capitol people too.

"What is it?" I asked them.

She laughed and patted my head. "Anxious one."

I tried my best not to bite her hand off when she took it away. She demanded me to close my eyes, but I cheated and peaked at what they were trying to put me in. Let's just say, it wasn't something I would wear normally.

I felt something cold brush against my skin, like paint. I inhaled and found it smelled like it too. Was I a human wall?

After what seemed like an hour, they let me open my eyes. What I found before me in the mirror was a stunning sight. I couldn't say if I really liked it or not. It was weird, like I was actually one.

I was a tree.

My skin was painted dark brown and my usual dark black hair was dyed green. My outfit was brown like a tree and my arms were branches. Everything was like a tree, since my district was District 7 of lumber and paper products.

I was pushed on to a chariot with Leellia, who was looking similar with her green hair and brown outfit. The chariot went after District 6, and before District 8 who had some weird looking clothes on and large needles that they held in their hands.

The Capitol crowd was loud and obnoxious. I saw the District 7 trees on the huge screen and almost burst out laughing. We looked stupid in our tree outfits. What would the orphanage say back home about this?

I kept my head low as our chariot embraced the darkness of the tunnel at the end of the path. We got out of the chariot and I ran a hand through my hair. Hopefully the dye would wash out.

I saw other chariots and the other tributes. District 12 tributes were covered with coal dust, and District 11 people were trying to pass as vegetables.

Thank goodness that was over.

**District 4**

**Skylar Reminda**

Beneard, my stylist, took in my face carefully. He touched my black hair, looked into my dark green eyes, and felt my lightly tanned skin. It was embarrassing, but I stood as still as I could.

"Ah, I know which outfit I want to use on them," he told my prep team. Blake Kaitz, my district partner, stood beside me.

Ooma, Blake's stylist, whispered to Beneard about it and they smiled in triumph. They separated us so I would be in one room and Blake in the other.

Beneard dressed me in several fishing nets. After my arms and legs were covered with the stringy stuff, Beneard put me in a short dress with real seashells and clams on it. He painted my nails a deep blue and put a shade of blue lipstick on my lips. My prep team did the rest of my make-up which included a blue eye shadow, a blue blush, and blue eyeliner.

When they were done, I looked at myself in the mirror. My seashell dress went down to my knees and was way too short for my liking. In other words, it was a little inappropriate for a thirteen year old. My blue make-up was radiant against my tanned skin. The fishing nets made a pattern on my legs and arms.

"She's beautiful!" said one person on my prep team.

"She's like Lady Sea, herself," another one agreed.

After a few finishing touches, I was reunited with Blake and taken to our chariot. It had blue horses, and yes they were probably just dyed blue, and the wagon part looked wavy. We got on it and the horses started to trot.

Blake grinned sheepishly at me, and I knew he was up to something.

"What?" I asked him.

"Nothing," he said and looked away.

Blake was a very complicated boy. He was thirteen, like me, but he was very different from me. He talked all the time, while I just listened. He smiled a lot, when I would give a frown. He was nice, but too unlike me. Don't even get me started on his looks. Oops, wait no! Forget I said that, I.. Mean his looks were weird. Yeah. Weird, that's it!

I turned red and gulped hard. This was really complicated. I didn't even know what I was thinking.

The chariot lurched forward and we were open to the crowd. Several cheers and screams were heard from the Capitol's people. District 3, ahead of us, didn't look bad actually. Their outfits blinked and changed colors.

"District 4! District 4! District 4!" You could hear the chants of the crowd as we were rolled into the middle of the action. People threw roses from the crowd to us. The thirteen year old tributes from District 4. Lovely.

Once the chariots rolled out of view and came to a stop, Blake and I were attacked by tributes from District 1 and 2.

"Hi, I'm Adema!" said a girl from District 1 who was jumpy. She looked high on caffeine. The other District 1 tribute was silent. He was only twelve. "That's Saffron," she said. "He's quiet."

"I'm Harley," said the District 2 girl. Her beach blonde hair shined.

"My name is Connor," said the little twelve year old boy from 2. He looked so young and cute! His eyes fearfully looked at us both. I heard he volunteered only to revenge his brother who was murdered. He wouldn't last, but I couldn't help feeling sorry and protective of him.

I guess we were the Careers this year. What a bunch.

**District 10**

**Indigo Wood**

The outfits they gave us were horrible. Jay and I pathetically looked at them. One was a cow outfit and the other was a pig one. We looked at each other.

"You expect us to wear _this_?" she asked.

"Yes," said the lazy Nimmi. She was supposed to be Jay's stylist. Warr was my stylist, but since he was horribly sick, he couldn't make it to the chariot rides. Now Nimmi was in charge of my outfit as well.

"It's perfectly fine," she said, dismissing us with a wave of her hand. She bit into a chocolate bar and turned a page in her magazine. She was stretched out on a beach chair. "Get to dressing!" she yelled.

We obediently changed into the outfits in the dressing rooms and allowed our prep teams to put a few make-up advances on us.

"If Warr was here," said one. "He would have given you a better chariot outfit. We're sorry you have to put up with Nimmi's outfits, they're horrible, we know."

I sighed and fearfully glanced into a mirror. It was worse than I had thought. No, it was worse than that! My pathetic pig snout drooped and my curly tail in the back flopped stupidly. Outfits weren't really my style, but this was ridiculous.

"I hope she gets fired soon," said Jay. She looked into the mirror with me and laughed slightly. At least my hair was cleaned and my face looked okay.

"Moo," said Jay.

"Oink," I replied half-heartedly.

We were eventually pushed on to the chariot, although I dreaded and prayed it would never happen. I would look like a fool in front of the Capitol. There would be no hope of sponsors now. Ugh.

The chariot went forward, with Nimmi lazily trotting behind. She took out her nail filer and started to shape her already perfect nails.

District 9 gave us some looks of sympathy before us, but then they were out in the sunlight. A few seconds, then we would too. I held my breath.

You could hear the laughs even before we were broadcasted on the big screen. I tried to keep my eyes really low, but Jay just tried to give them her best smile. Snorts and pointing fingers made my face grow hot. District 10 would be humiliated. We were the laughing-stock of Panem.

When we entered the tunnel, the laughter died behind us as we got farther and farther away from them. When the chariot was stopped, Jay and I tumbled out.

"Wow, I feel bad for you guys," said the District 6 guy. His name was Sam.

"Yeah, I know," Jay muttered. She blushed.

"Hey, it's okay." Sam pats her on the shoulder and gives her a smile. She gave him a pathetic moo.

I glanced toward Nimmi, and saw she was fast asleep on our chariot.


	10. Practicing to Kill

**A/N: This is the training chapter day 1 and 2. The next chapter will be showing the Gamemakers what you can do and training scores chapter. Thanks again for all the great reviews. **

**Disclamer: I do not own the Hunger Games, or the characters in this story.**

**(Please tell me if I need to change something I am doing wrong for your character!)**

* * *

**Day 1 of Training**

**District 2**

**Harley Kinect**

Our escort took Connor and me down to the training room. We were late, and Sindee tried to explain this.

"Late is the new 'in'," she said. "The new fashion in the Capitol."

Connor glanced toward me with confusion. I sighed and tried to explain it to him down the elevator.

Well anyway, we arrived and people were already off training. We went over to the Careers immediately. We had all met earlier during the chariot rides.

"Hey, Harley," said Adema, the hyper one from District 1. "Hi Connor!"

I greet them back and we all sit down at a table. Adema said we were going to talk about our plans before training.

"So, first thing is first," said Adema. "All of you want to be a Career, right? If not, then leave." Her quirkiness left in a flash, and was replaced by a serious girl who you didn't want to mess with. She stared at each one of us with intensity.

"That's easy, I'm in," said Blake. His sea green eyes told the truth. He leaned back in his chair and put on a flashy smile.

"Yes," Saffron said. He didn't look like the talking type, but he looked pretty deadly. He was only twelve, like Connor.

"We have a young group of Careers this year," I blurted.

It was true; Saffron and Connor were twelve, I was fourteen, and the District 4 tributes were thirteen. The only older one was Adema, who was seventeen.

"Yes, but that doesn't mean we aren't strong," Adema said. For the first time, I saw the dark glint in Blake's eyes. I saw Skylar's hunger for home. I saw the strong in Saffron and the crazy deadly look in Adema's eyes. The only innocent was maybe Connor, but he looked like he was hiding something. Maybe he had another reason he volunteered, that's why. I felt so sorry for him. It was my job to protect him in the Games from the other tributes.

"Anyway, you in?" she asked.

Skylar and I nodded.

"Is the boy any good?" Saffron asked me. He looked to Connor. "If not, he has to go."

Connor's eyes threatened to cry.

"Yes!" I said, coming to his rescue. "He'll be fine. I'll protect him. He won't be a problem."

"Good," he said.

"What's our plan?" Blake asked. He was obviously bored, because he was glancing at the other tributes training.

"Kill everyone else," Adema said. "Stay together and stay at the cornucopia on the first day."

"Can I go play now?" Connor asked. Everyone stared at him. "I want to go play with the ropes with them!" He pointed to two tributes busily working in the knot section. I groaned inwardly. Connor wasn't going to be very popular with the Careers.

"We'll talk later," Saffron said. Then we went our separate ways. Adema went to the sword fighting section, Saffron to the knife section, Blake and Skylar to the food section, and I went along with Connor to the knot tying area.

"Hooray, happy ropes!" he said.

I sighed.

**District 9**

**Timmy Hemja**

I went over to the knife section, where the instructor was telling others how to hold a knife and pierce a body with it. The girl from 3, the girl from 5, and the boy from 1 were there. After awhile, he looked at how we held our knives and tested if it was a good weapon for us.

Each one of the others passed easily, but when the instructor came to me, he helped me position it better in my hands. The girl from 5 and the boy from 1 left for another station, while the girl from 3 stayed and watched me. After I passed, the instructor allowed me to go. When I turned to leave, I found the girl from 3 still staring at me.

"You're pretty good at knives, aren't you?" I asked her.

"Oh, I guess," she said. "Are you any good?"

"No." I laughed. "Not even close." I held out my hand and smiled at her. "My name's Timmy."

She shook it and said, "I'm Ryan Laurent." Then as if realizing she said something bad, she clasped her hand over her mouth. I gave her a questioning look. The last name 'Laurent' sounded familiar. It was in the back of my head, but I couldn't think of where it came from. Perhaps it was someone from school with the same last name.

She relaxed once she knew that I had no idea why she did that. "It's nothing."

Ryan was pretty, and I wasn't exaggerating when I said that. She had striking blue eyes and beautiful dark brown hair. She was tanned and her smile made me have a headache from looking at it. She probably got a lot of boyfriends from her looks.

"So, want to go to the food picking area together?" I asked. I know, it was a sorry invitation, but I wanted to learn more about Ryan Laurent.

Her face turned the slightest pink, and you would have had to strain your eyes to see it. She nodded and we went over to the station together.

The two from District 4 finished up as we got there. The girl looked annoyed when the boy said something, so she crossed her arms. The boy laughed as they walked to another section.

The instructor looked pleased to have new students. He told us how to judge if a berry on a bush was poison or not, how to look for edible plants, and ways to find water. I listened intensely, for food and water was a big factor of surviving in the Games.

Afterwards, the instructor made us tell him five facts that we learned about his station. Ryan scaled through five easy facts quickly. It took me a little more time to think up of five more, but I finally did. We thanked the instructor and we left. Day 1 of training was almost over.

"Well, thanks for keeping me company," I said to Ryan. "I'll see you tomorrow?"

She nodded and gave me a slight smile. Her eyes had a light laugh in them.

I think I wanted Ryan as an ally.

**Day 2 of Training**

**District 7**

**Leellia Sapnol**

Tasturn and I rode down the elevator in silence. Our escort didn't bother to go with us, because our mentors didn't want other tributes thinking we were weak.

I yawned as the elevator opened with a cheerful ding. Others were already busy training. It was day two, and I had spent most of my day yesterday trying my luck in the bow and arrows section. I was okay at it, but my favorite weapon was the whip. I could fire those things fast, and I ended up slaughtering a dummy until it was in heaps on the floor yesterday.

I left Tasturn to go to the camouflage station. Another tribute from 8 was painting herself in different colors to match herself with grass. That wouldn't exactly be helpful in a scorching desert or a snowy mountain though.

The instructor gave me some plants and paint-like substances to paint over my skin. She told me to match a tree. Since I was from District 7, I was fairly familiar with trees. My chariot outfit was even one.

I painted a dark brown color over my face, but the instructor told me to save camouflaging my clothes for the arena, so I wouldn't get my clothes all dirty. I actually didn't mind getting dirty, but I shrugged it off and just did my face and arms. After succeeding, I washed it all off in a bathroom and tried to find another station.

Next, I tried my luck with shelter building. The girl from 9, the boy from 11, and the girl from 12 were all there trying to string together temporary beds. I grabbed some grass and weeds from the pile and started to copy everyone else. The group I worked with was quiet. They seemed to be concentrating hard on their work. They all looked a little younger than me.

I finally finished my bed after a good hour. If it took this long to make a temporary bed that you would only use for maybe one or two nights, I wouldn't waste the time in the arena. Some actually would though.

It was lunch time, so Capitol servers put many different foods on platters in the center of the training room. Other tributes finished up and we all went to fill our plates with delicious lunch. I sat next to the girl from 9, because she looked like she had no one to sit by either.

Back home, I would've been hunting in the trash bins for some scratch food. If I was lucky, I would get an apple that wasn't too rotten or a few days expired can of carrots in the mayor's trash. Perhaps I would get some leftover bread from the nice lady at the bakery. She was always giving people on the streets bread she didn't sell for the day. If I won the Games, I planned to give the lady from the bakery a proper thank you.

I smiled at the thought of winning, as I finished up a portion of salted green beans.

There would be no more living on the streets like a poor girl.

**District 5**

**Tancered Ride**

After lunch, I went over to the throwing section, where several others were practicing their aim. Most of the Careers were there and a couple of others. I grabbed a knife and hurled it with no effort at a target. It landed in a bull's eye.

"Nice," said the twelve year old from 1. I felt the eyes from the girls from 1 and 2, as well. The boy from 1 hurled a knife at my target and it chunked right next to mine. He gave me a stare as if wanting to see more of what I could do.

I grabbed another knife and watched as Omega, my district partner, attempted to throw a knife at her target. I threw quickly at her knife and both knives collided. They landed on the floor with a clank.

Omega turned to me, anger on her face. She grabbed the nearest weapon she could find, which was a sword and tried to slash it on my arm. I grabbed a sword as well, and I deflected the blow.

"You're totally asking for it!" she screamed. She tried to stab me in the stomach, but I barely shielded it with my sword. I aimed for her head, and she ducked.

"Shut up," I said. We battled it out with our swords intensely. Other tributes watched with fear. Instructors tried to break us apart, but it was hard with our swords jabbing everywhere. Finally, they pulled us away from each other and grabbed the swords from our hands.

"NO FIGHTING AGAINST EACH OTHER!" the sword instructor shouted. "That is against the rules!"

Omega rolled her eyes and got up close to me. Her violet eyes glared at me as she threatened, "If you ever try that again, I will literally kill you. You hear me?"

I laughed and shoved her away, which made her angrier.

"Hey!" the boy from 1 said. "You guys fight well. Do you two think you would like to be with the Careers?"

Omega shrieked with laughter. "I would never join such a wimpy group!" She gave me one more glare before trotting off to the bow and arrows section.

I was very perplexed at the offer. The Careers wanted me? This was a real opportunity to take. I could hang with the Careers and survive for a long time, until the final eight. Then I could kill them off while they slept.

"I accept the offer. Besides, I am better than that 'Omega' girl anyway," I said, loud for Omega to hear in the section over. At first, it looked like she was going to storm over and battle me again, but she turned and ignored me instead.

"Good," Saffron said. He looked like a good ally, even though he was twelve.

"Welcome to the Careers."


	11. An Umbrella to Block Out Falling Glass

**A/N: Private sessions with the Gamemakers chapter! _Training scores are at the bottom!_ After this chapter, we have interviews. There are two more chapters before the Games; are you excited as I am?**

**Also, there is a poll on my profile. Vote for the tribute you are supporting in the 57th Hunger Games!**

**Disclamer: I do not own the Hunger Games, or the characters in this story.**

**(Please tell me if I need to change something I am doing wrong for your character!)**

* * *

**District 1**

**Adema Catasro**

I tucked a dark blonde curl behind my ear and twitched nervously. I wasn't one to be still in a chair to wait patiently. Every tribute was in the room, sitting by their district partner. Today was the day to please the Gamemakers.

Saffron glared at me to stop being so fidgety, so I tried. It didn't work too well. I kept on tapping my foot or twiddling my fingers. Saffron's name was called over an intercom and he went into the double doors of the Gamemakers' lair. Fifteen minutes later, and it would be my turn. I had no idea what I was going to do!

I glanced around at the other tributes and Blake Kaitz from 4, gave me a thumbs up. I nervously smiled back.

"Adema Catasro, please make your way into the double doors," the intercom said.

I sprung up and ran to the doors. I opened them and went in. I looked back to see the doors closing, and all the tributes' faces staring as it closed tight. I took a deep breath and turned toward the Gamemakers.

The good thing about being next to first is that you've usually got their attention. District 12 would probably not get any notice. The bad thing about being next to first was you never had time to think about what you would do.

I glanced around the room and saw several weapons and other useful items. I thought about using one of my favorite weapons, the knife, but that didn't seem like it would really please the Gamemakers. They probably have seen hundreds of kids use knives on dummies.

Then I had an idea. I grabbed some rope and kept it far away from the Gamemakers to see. I weaved and knotted, my hands clumsily shaking.

"I really don't know what to do," I said aloud to them. "I'll probably just get a bad score. A bad score for a Career." I sighed dramatically. "What will they say about me then?" I had my back turned from them while I fiddled with the rope, shaping it into a circle. "I really wish I knew what to do. Could you just give me a good score and let it be over with? Of course you wouldn't. Oh, what will I ever do?" I needed to stall just a little more.

I almost had the rope finished. There was probably only two minutes left of my time. I had to hurry. I glanced back at the Gamemakers and found them bored out of their minds. I saw a pie on their table.

"I really like pie!" I blurted. "Can I have some?"

The Gamemakers grumbled something that sounded like 'no'.

I finished my roped circle and got really close to the Gamemakers' table. I put the rope behind my back and I looked at their pie, sighing.

"It really looks good, may I pleasehave some?" I asked. I flashed a smile at them.

"No," said the Head Gamemaker. "Now do something, or your time is up."

I threw my roped circle onto his head and several of the Gamemakers were shocked. I took the pie as several of them tried to get it off him.

"Th-thanks!" I stuttered.

Then, I left the room with the pie.

**District 9**

**Eira Talbot**

I waited as tribute after tribute went in and never came back. It was an eerie long wait and then my district partner, Timmy, went in. I sighed as the fifteen minutes went by a little too fast.

"Eira Talbot, please make your way to the double doors."

I got up and opened the doors. I walked in nervously and saw the Gamemakers were eating platters of food. Oh, how I wished they weren't eating any food right now. It made me feel queasy.

I searched the room for something I could use. I found a bow and some arrows lying on the ground and I picked them up. I strung an arrow in and looked for somewhere to sink the arrows in. I found a target and aimed a few arrows at it. It landed in the red bull's eye a couple of times. Then, I searched somewhere for a more suitable target.

I sank a few into a dummy's heart and then searched for somewhere else. I had the Gamemakers' attention now. I had a crazy, but stunning idea. I aimed for the chandelier in the center of the ceiling. The arrow flew and hit.

The chandelier fell with a loud crash, and the crystal glass pieces were broken in a mess at my feet. The Gamemakers gasped and some screamed. I turned toward them.

"You are dismissed," said the Head Gamemaker. He showed no emotion, unlike the others.

I exited the room from a different exit and went to an elevator. I collapsed with exhaustion after punching in floor nine. I hope they weren't mad.

I arrived at floor nine and my escort, Klorine, hugged me.

"How was it, dear?" she asked with a light tinkle in her voice. Timmy sat at the dining table along with our mentors. He smiled and waved.

"Horrible," I said, covering my eyes. "I totally blew it."

"Sit down, darling," she said. "We can talk about it at dinner."

So I told them about my scene with the chandelier and how they'd punish me or my family. I almost cried in front of them, but I shoved another strip of chicken down my throat and I sucked it up. Timmy, who was eighteen, listened carefully and laughed once I told him how they screamed.

"I wish I could've been there!" he laughed. "I'd love to see their faces!"

I gave him a slight smile. Timmy was very nice and friendly.

"Well, this could be good or bad," said my mentor. "It would be better if it came up on the good side."

Klorine gave me a pat on the back and said, "I'm sure things will turn out all right, Eira. Cheer up and eat your rice pudding."

So I do. I ate rice pudding and laughed with Timmy, and everything was alright. The incident of the chandelier soon went to the far corner of my mind and was forgotten. It would have been alright, if it weren't for the broadcasting of the training scores.

We sat down as it started.

**District 11**

**Zea Dillum**

"Zea Dillum, please make your way to the double doors."

I stood up and glanced at the remaining tributes from District 12. The girl gave me a funny smile and the boy's expression said nothing. I walked to the doors and went in without another thought. I knew what I was going to do. It wasn't very talented, but it was enough to say it was an okay idea.

The Gamemakers were wide awake, much to my surprise. I thought they would have been asleep since I was third to last. I looked around the room and in one corner there was a whole bunch of broken glass and stuff. I looked up at the ceiling and found something was strangely missing.

But anyway, I had no time to wander and think. I had to do something. I grabbed a sword and shoved it into a dummy. I had experience with swords from cutting plants in the fields with them. Then I grabbed a few of the plants from the plant area of the room, and made sure not to put them near my mouth as I brought them to the dummy. The plants were very poisonous. Why they had them in here, I don't know. I laid the dummy's head down and put the plants around his face. I shifted the sword in the dummy's stomach until it was just right.

I went to gather some berries and squeezed the juice into a puddle by the dummy. I added a trickle of berry juice by the dummy's mouth to symbolize blood. Then, I added a little bit of the berry juice by the sword wound. It was perfect.

I stood up and waited to be excused before leaving. When I was, I left the exit door and bumped into Clement, my district partner, who was three years younger than me. He was like a little brother. We planned to be allies in the arena and trust no one.

"How'd it go?" he asked. His eyes were filled with curiousness.

"It went okay." I told him what I did and he told me what he did.

"I threw a spear into a dummy and it hit pretty close to the heart," he said. "I think I will get a good score for that. But you'll probably get a better score for doing whatever you did."

"No, all I did was decorate a dead person's body," I said, shuddering. "Speaking of that, I need to wash my hands. Those poisonous plants got powder all over my hands." I went to a bathroom to wash the grimy stuff off my fingers and made sure they were washed well. The last thing I needed was to get poison on something or someone else.

I sighed and sat down on the floor. I hoped the training scores turned out okay.

**District 8**

**Wesley Eldridge**

I watched the nervous, the excited, the scary, and the small go into those double doors. I always hoped they would come back out, but they never did. There was most likely another exit in there, but you couldn't help but wonder if they were all dead. When it was my turn, they said my name on the intercom. My district partner, Raina, gave me a tiny good luck before I went into the grand cave.

I wasn't exactly sure what I was going to do for them. Showing them my physical abilities wasn't exactly a good idea, since I had next to no muscles in my body. I needed to show them that I had brains and cunning instead. I settled on a simple idea that usually took several hours for others. It would take fifteen minutes for me.

I grabbed some grass and strong vines and started to weave them together, my fingers working at a fast pace. I strung the grass and weeds together making a dome shaped top. Then, with five minutes left, I settled on a thick vine and shaped it into a long stick-like thing. I curved the end of the vine to make as a handle.

"Your time is up," said the Head Gamemaker.

I smiled and twirled the craft I had made. I learned it in the factories back home.

"For you," I said, giving him the grassy invention. "An umbrella."

I left the room feeling pretty confident that I had done right. I couldn't please the Gamemakers with strong and build, but I probably did please them with charm and a new umbrella to use.

I went up the elevator to my room and relaxed, sipping a strawberry drink. Raina came up a little later, looking frazzled.

"What happened?" I asked her.

"I set a trap for a very unlucky dummy," she said. She went by me and sat in a comfy chair. She then ordered a large chocolate shake, took a large gulp of it, and then sighed. "What did you do?"

"I made an umbrella," I told her. She wasn't really a threat and I felt I could tell her anything.

"Oh," she said. "How?"

I laughed and told her it would take a long time to learn how.

"I know, but with what?" she asked, her eyes showed she needed information.

"Grass and vines," I said.

"Hmmm," she wondered. "Not bad of an idea."

"Yeah, but you wouldn't be able to do it," I told her honestly. "It takes some very complicated knots and techniques."

She sneered and said, "Whatever."

We drank our drinks in the silence that followed. Soon, our mentors, prep teams, stylists, and escort came back up from their 'break' as they called it, and we all gathered around the television.

"Training score time," said Raina's mentor.

I nervously sighed as the Capitol seal came on and the anthem played. My eyes were glued on to the screen. This was what judged if you were basically good or not for the arena. It helped you in every little way with sponsors and allies, but sometimes it gave you enemies.

I held my breath as it began.

**End of POVs (Now Third Person)**

"I am Kaizel Divide, your host for the training scores for this evening," the Capitol host said. "It has been an exciting day for the tributes, as they got to please and perform for our wonderful Gamemakers. Let's see what our Head Gamemaker, Cendell, had to say about today."

"Well, it was a shocker from many," he said with a laugh. "It was definitely a day to remember. There were lots of surprises."

"Thank you, Cendell." Kaizel smiled and turned back to the camera. "Now, we present to you, the 57th Hunger Games training scores!"

Saffron Haver: 10

Adema Catasro: 8

Connor Flipsye: 2

Harley Kinect: 8

Epoch Selio: 9

Ryan Laurent: 7

Blake Kaitz: 9

Skylar Reminda: 7

Tancered Ride: 10

Omega Von Dirge: 10

Sam Trainor: 8

Jewel Johnson: 6

Tasturn Nype: 7

Leellia Sapnol: 6

Wesley Eldridge: 8

Raina Capperide: 8

Timmy Hemja: 6

Eira Talbot: 10

Indigo Wood: 6

Jenilee Hunter: 7

Clement Polvay: 7

Zia Dillum: 8

Emton Jilius: 5

Thyme Dija: 8

"Wow, some of our tributes pulled some very good scores," said Kaizel. "Thank you for tuning in, good night!"

The Capitol seal flashed and the anthem played once more. Then all was silent.


	12. Let's Play a Game

**A/N: Sorry, this may have come out a little late. I have been very busy lately. But with my spring break that has officially started today, I hope that means I will write a lot faster! Interview chapter is here! Next chapter is our last chapter before the Games. If your tribute has not been featured yet, it will be presented in the next one. The next chapter is about saying goodbye and being transported to the arena and what not. :) The Games and bloodbath will start after the next chapter.**

**Also, there is a poll on my profile. Vote for the tribute you are supporting in the 57th Hunger Games!**

**Disclamer: I do not own the Hunger Games, or the characters in this story.**

**(Please tell me if I need to change something I am doing wrong for your character!)**

* * *

**District 6**

**Sam Trainor**

"Just be you," said Diya, my stylist, with a ruffle of my hair. "You'll do fine!"

I wiped my sweaty hands on my pants my stylist made for me. I smiled at my mentor as I stepped on to the sideline for the tributes. Each tribute had their name scrawled in gold letters on each chair. They were especially reserved for the tributes.

The boy from 1 went first. Caesar Flickerman had a deep red-violet feel to his make-up and outfit this year. I learned the boy from 1's name was Saffron Haver. He played a straight forward and strong, silent angle. The girl from 1 was spunky and she sputtered random facts about tea parties and chocolate bunnies to the audience.

Tribute after tribute went by and soon, District 5 was done. I was up next. I walked up the stage and sat in the comfy chair next to Caesar. He had a light smile as I sat next to him.

"Well, how about we welcome Sam Trainor to the stage?" he said to the audience, and they clapped and cheered. "Girls, it's a cute one." He tried to hide a wink to the audience from me and they laughed.

"Well, Sam, how are we doing?" he asked.

"I'm doing pretty well, Caesar," I said, giving him a grin.

"That's great," he said. "What was your reaction to the reaping when you were reaped?"

"I was surprised, in fact, shocked, but I got over it when I saw all the food in the Capitol." The audience laughed. This wasn't exactly true, but it did boost my confidence to make the audience laugh.

"Were you sad to leave anyone from home?" he asked.

"My family," I told him truthfully. The audience nodded with understanding. "My parents were torn apart and, oh, my siblings." I shook my head. "Wouldn't stop crying." The audience gave an "aww" noise.

"Aw." Caesar sadly gave me a moment to mourn them. "Well, enough with the sad stuff, do you have a girlfriend from home or anything?"

"No." I turned red.

"C'mon, not even a tribute you have your eye on?" he asked.

My eyes briefly flashed to Jay from 10, but I remained silent. The audience "oohed" and I tried to turn back to a normal color.

"Well, we will certainly see about this hidden romance in the arena, won't we?" He laughed and patted me on the shoulder. "Let's move on, shall we?"

"Thank you." I breathed out and the audience chuckled. I quickly glanced up at Jay again and found her very pink in the face.

"Last question, are you ready for the Games and will you fight 'til the finish?" he asked.

"I am certainly ready and I will fight until I think it's absolutely necessary to stop," I told him.

"In other words," he started. "You'll fight until second place, and then you'll let this crush of yours win first?"

"Caesar," I said, acting annoyed and rolling my eyes. I gave him a flushed smile.

The buzzer sounded and I was given a huge applause. I climbed down the stage went back to my seat.

"We'll be waiting for that romance of yours, Sam!" Caesar said with a finish.

**District 2**

**Connor Flipsye**

"Just act cute and don't do anything stupid!" said my mentor. I believe he was still pretty ticked to have a small little tribute to mentor.

"But I'm scared," I whined. He growled at me to be quiet. I frowned and turned to my stylist.

"What do you think I should do, Miss Turquoise?" I asked.

"Just act like the little doll you are and be yourself," she soothed and pinched my face. Ouch, get your dirty Capitol hands off me.

I sniffed. "Okay, Miss Turquoise, whatever you say." I managed a smile.

My mentor groaned as I left with Harley, my district partner, to go to the interview stage. She was silent as we walked through the long hallways together. I think she felt that I was nervous, so she held my hand. I felt the urge to roll my eyes, but I told my eyes to stay put.

"Do your best, okay?" she said. "You'll do fine." I think she was reassuring more of herself than me. My district partner was an idiot. She was so easy to play through.

"I'm scared!" I wailed, as we were about to go out in the open air where the audience was. She glanced at me and realized I was about to cry. "Connor, it's okay!" She knelt down and hugged me as I sobbed. I smelled her deep beach blonde hair and grinned. Her strawberry shampoo would go good with the blood, flowing from her body. Violent images of killing her appeared into my head, and I sighed with an urge to kill her right that moment.

"I just wanted to do this for my brother," I said. I wiped my tears. She gave my hand a reassuring squeeze and we went out together, holding hands.

We sat down, and District 1 went first. Then it was my turn.

"Connor, what were you thinking about when you volunteered?" Caesar asked.

"I just wanted to revenge my brother's death," I said. The audience gave me a sad sound. "I don't know what I was thinking, really. But I could do it, if I wanted to!" I stood up and flashed my cute little Bambi eyes at Caesar. "I will win for my brother and for the only nice tribute here!"

"And who's that?" he asked, his eyebrows going up in surprise.

"Harley Kinect, my district partner," I said, pointing to her. She was turning a deep red. "She's nice and she is always there for me." I smiled sweetly at her. She blushed.

The audience cooed and Caesar told me there was just enough time for one more question.

"Are you really ready for the Games, Connor?" he asked.

"I guess so," I said. I gave him a nervous laugh. The buzzer buzzed and I was off the stage and into my seat, before Caesar could thank me for my time. Harley went up next.

I couldn't wait to taste her blood, along with all of the other tributes who sat next to me.

**District 5**

**Omega Von Dirge**

Tancered, my annoying district partner, went before me, and he _had_ to rub it in.

"You know what this means?" he taunted.

"What?" I asked, my deep purple eyes glaring.

"I'm better than you." Before I could rip his eyeballs out, he waved goodbye and trotted on stage, leaving me with an unfinished feeling of anger and annoyance. I would be the one to kill him in the arena. As I listened to his interview with Caesar, I planned his death.

The buzzer sounded and I was up next. I bumped into Tancered on purpose, while walking by.

"Watch where you're going!" I said. I stepped onto the stage and flipped my fire truck hair. I rubbed my sharp teeth back and forth on my gums.

"Hello, Omega," Caesar said.

I grinned, my sharp teeth gleaming.

"I heard you scored a ten with your private session with the Gamemakers," said Caesar. "Tell us a little bit about this."

"I simply rocked the house," I said. I traced the capitol 'A' and 'O' tattoo on my middle finger.

"What is your plan for the arena, Omega?" he asked.

"You see all those people on the sidelines?" I asked him, pointing to each and every one of the tributes.

"Yes."

"They all are going to _die_," I whispered. "_Die_." The audience fell quiet. "And I will kill them all painfully." Some of the audience cheered, some wailed, some screamed, some clapped, and some did nothing at all. I took a risky glance at the tributes for their reactions. Some looked very scared, but some were emotionless, like District 1's Saffron Haver. When Tancered saw me looking, he smirked as if encouraging me to say more useless things. I knew right then and there, I was going to be hunted down by him in the arena. But I would get to him first.

"Very well," Caesar said. "We will see once the Games begin. So, what do you think about your competition? Do you think they might be tough?"

"Yeah right," I snorted. "Take the Careers, for example. Most of them are crazy, or young, or whatever. I could kill them off in a second."

"What about the others?" Caesar asked.

"I might as well take in a teddy bear as a weapon," I told him. "They'll be easy to extinct." I smiled at my choice of the word. "You'll forget all about them, once I kill them off. They'll be a distant memory in a far away land that everybody forgets about. Now me, no one can forget, because I'm going to be the 57th Hunger Games winner!"

The crowd cheered and whistled with motivation. I turned to them and yelled, "Do you think so?"

The crowd chanted my name as the buzzer sounded, and I walked off with a wave.

"Expect more from me soon," I said, and I went to go sit next to Tancered again. He was still staring me down, smiling with evilness. But this time, I returned the smirk. He was the one I was going to kill.

I was the hunter, and he was my prey.

Be afraid.

**District 4**

**Blake Kaitz**

Her face flushed with anger and she crossed her arms. "What's that supposed to mean?" she asked.

I yawned. "You look good; that's what I said. Do you need me to talk slower? You.. look.. good." I said the last part with extreme slowness. She was wearing a pretty dress adorned in blue.

"No, that's not what I meant, and you know it," she said. Skylar used to be pretty shy around me, but she wasn't much anymore, ever since I tripped her on purpose that one day. Ah the memories. I liked messing with her.

I laughed.

"What?" she turned red. "Did I say something wrong?" She was also very defensive and obedient.

"No, it's just you," I said. We walked out into the crowd and sat in our places on the side of the stage. Our chairs were fancy crafted chairs that looked like sea waves. Other tributes' chairs matched their district's specialty.

District 1, 2, and 3 went too fast, and then I was up. I brushed the brown hair over my eyes away, which caught several giggles from the audience, and sat down next to Caesar.

"Hello, Blake," said Caesar. "He's definitely got the looks, doesn't he?" He turned to the audience. "Am I right?"

The audience screamed and cheered.

"Well then, Mr. Blake, let's start with a simple question. Are you teaming up with the Careers this year?"

"Sure thing," I said. "They'll need my strength this year."

"What do you think of your district partner, Skylar?" he asked.

"She's cute," I replied, giving him a dazzling smile. I looked over to her and saw she was annoyed at me for saying that, but embarrassed at the same time. "Yep, she is," I added. I did this for the cameras and for my interview angle, but I was stating the truth when I said she was cute. Her black hair fell in perfect stands around her face and her dark green eyes stared into mine. What was I talking about? I was the seductive one, not her.

"What do you think the arena will be like this year, Blake?" Caesar stroked his chin in an odd gesture.

"I hope it will be somewhere warm," I said. "Somewhere exotic and new."

The buzzer beeped and I was waved off the stage. The audience clapped and shouted words of encouragement.

"I will win, just watch," I said with a smirk, before leaving the stage. I went back to sit on my wavy blue chair. Skylar walked past me and gave me a slight angry look for saying she was 'cute'. I felt the urge to laugh again.

Caesar greeted her and asked her several questions. She talked with shyness and politeness in her voice. Her smile was very convincing and lovely. I groaned and closed my eyes.

What the heck was this feeling inside me?


	13. Say Goodbye

**A/N: Whoa, I typed this up fast. I guess I was too excited for the Games to start. Next chapter, it starts officially. Sorry if your tribute was last, but you know what they say, last but not least. :) **

**Also, there is a poll on my profile. Vote for the tribute you are supporting in the 57th Hunger Games!**

**Disclamer: I do not own the Hunger Games, or the characters in this story.**

**(Please tell me if I need to change something I am doing wrong for your character!)**

* * *

**District 1**

**Saffron Haver**

I was with the Careers to say our good lucks before we left. Blake and Skylar awkwardly embraced each other and were off. Harley was saying goodbye to Adema and Connor. Connor was having a mental breakdown, with tears and snot and everything. Soon, they went off to go to the arena too.

Adema ran to me and gave me a hug. "Stay alive and meet at the Cornucopia." Her usual squirrelly self was muted and shut down. Maybe it was all the fear.

"Right," I muttered in her arms. I shrugged her off and we turned and left. I went up the elevator to my room. My mentor, Druid, was there waiting.

"Good luck," he said. He wasn't very talkative, much like me. "Your stylist will go with you to see you off into the arena." Oh no, not her.

I was taken to a helicopter where I wasn't allowed to see outside. There were no windows, only the one up in front. Even then, I couldn't go up there.

"You'll do great!" squealed Fifi, my stylist. She patted my black hair matted down on my head, and smiled. "Remember, kill off those at the Cornucopia and stay with the Careers! You're representing District 1 now."

"I know," I said.

"And don't do anything foolish! Stay away from traps!"

"I know."

"And.."

She went on and on about the things I was told by my mentor. I wasn't stupid. Instead, I spent the time in the helicopter thinking about all the other tributes in the arena.

Adema was a little too hyper, so I wondered if she would survive the bloodbath. Harley looked strong enough, but with Connor to protect, she didn't have a good chance. Connor was too small and unreliable; he would probably die off quickly in the bloodbath. There was something very strange about him, perhaps he had a secret. He would have to die, no matter what.

Blake was very eye striking for the girls. I bet he had some strong in him too. Skylar was shy and timid, but she might be a little useful with sponsors. The District 4 tributes were very stunning with looks this year. The Careers would definitely get sponsors from them.

Tancered Ride, the boy from 5, was also joining up with the Careers. He was very good with weapons, and he proved useful in the Training Room.

Another tribute that caught my eye was Omega Von Dirge from 5. She was Tancered's rival and enemy. She looked a little crazy, but also very deadly.

The helicopter slowly went down and landed. The jolt off the halt made Fifi scream. She instantly laughed and acted all embarrassed, once one of the flight attendants told her we just landed.

We were transported into a room in a very weird building. The halls were ice cold and marble shiny. Several guards followed in front of us and behind. They inserted the tracker inside my arm.

"You can do it, Saffron," Fifi sobbed. She gave me a huge hug. Ugh, what's with all the hugs? I was given an outfit for the arena, and I changed into it. I was pushed into a cylinder tube and it was closed. Fifi waved goodbye on the glass and the tube shot down.

Let's do this.

**District 8**

**Raina Capperide**

I was teaming up with Wesley, my district partner, and the girl from 12, Thyme. We planned to run straight for cover and not linger with the bloodbath.

"We will try and run north, okay?" I asked. "Let's try and run with each other to get away, so we won't get separated."

"Sounds good," Thyme replied.

"What if we do get separated?" Wesley asked. "We should find somewhere to meet up."

"We should meet up near the Cornucopia if we get lost," I said wisely. "But not directly in plain eye view of the Careers, okay? Maybe in the trees near the Cornucopia."

"Okay." Thyme nodded. She closed her eyes and shut out the world. She had major trust issues and was a quiet one. But she was good with killing people with different things, and she had volunteered. So she had to be good.

Wesley was another story. He was really good with making things, so we asked him to be in our alliance. He could make different things for us in the arena to survive.

I tucked a strand of my dark hair behind my ear and told them goodbye. It would be a scary process once we were in the arena.

My stylist and I were put into a helicopter. The helicopter was pretty dark, especially since it didn't have any windows. The helicopter was pretty big though, almost like an airplane.

I was silent, making no attempt to make conversation with my stylist. He offered me some water and I took it, but that was it.

I thought about the arena and what it would be like this year. I hoped it was somewhere sunny, unlike my home in District 8 where there were smoky factories everywhere. The skies in District 8 were polluted with black and gray covering most of the sun, and the stars were nowhere to be seen at night.

The helicopter landed and I was taken into my final room of sanity. I took a small bite of cake, my last luxury of the real world. But I _would_ win; I _would_ come back and enjoy that cake again until I could eat no more.

My stylist gave me a reassuring squeeze on the shoulder, and helped me into the arena outfit. This year it was a rubbery black jacket and pants. It was very uncomfortable, but it would help keep warm at nights.

Someone dug a sharp needle into my skin. I believe it was a tracker, so they would always know where you were in the arena. They owned you, like a game piece.

But I was not their game piece; I would show them.

I would win.

**District 12**

**Emton Jilius**

I stood there in the big room full of crying tributes. Everyone was saying goodbye to their allies or friends. Some were by their selves, awkwardly standing there alone. Allies were sometimes good and sometimes bad. They could help you kill off tributes and help you survive, but you never know if they'll turn against you, or when they'll betray you.

Most people were leaving to go to their rooms. Some were still crying their eyes out. Suck it up, I wanted to say, we were all going to die anyway.

I left the dramatic scene and went up to my room. Thyme was getting ready to go and I gave a small wave goodbye. She attempted a smile, but it ended up like a cringe. We were all afraid.

My stylist grabbed my hand and took me to a helicopter. It had the Capitol's seal on the side and it was large. Inside, the seats were leathery and soft. There were no windows, no transparency to look outside into the world. They didn't want the tributes to know where they were going. They didn't want the tributes to know where they were going to die.

I leaned back in my seat, as the helicopter started up and lifted itself into the air. I couldn't see it, but I could feel it. My stomach churned, and I wished I hadn't eaten that cheesy casserole from the Capitol.

The helicopter buzzed and flew for a long time. It must've been at least an hour before it landed. I was taken to a plain white room with a personal Capitol waiter in there. I ordered a glass of some fizzy stuff and watched as he hustled out.

I lingered around the room and found a single white rose in a glass vase. It was sitting very perfectly, probably for good luck. Its sickly sweet scent filled my nose and made me gag. It was probably in every tribute's room to make them feel queasy before the Games. Great.

The Capitol waiter came back with the fizzy drink and two glasses of water. He gave one to my stylist, and one to me. He placed the fizzy drink on the table and left.

As I enjoyed my last fizzy drink, my stylist told me goodbye. She didn't even say good luck or anything; she knew I would probably die in the bloodbath.

I found myself being put into a sleek black outfit. It was all smooth and leathery. I got a tracker in my arm and then I was put into an elevator tube. The tube shot down before I had any other thoughts.

I was backed up against the back of the tube, covering my face. This was it. I couldn't do it.

"Let me back up!" I screamed. I pounded on the glass. I wondered if anyone had ever tried to knock themselves out before the Games started. I didn't have time to anyway, because the tube landed and sunlight filled my eyes.

The tube opened and I was put onto a pod.

I shut my eyes as the countdown started.

**District 10**

**Jenilee 'Jay' Hunter**

"It'll be okay," Sam said to me. "We'll find each other just fine anyway." He gave me a light smile, and stroked my face lightly with his hand.

I sighed and gave him a final hug. "I don't want to go into the arena, Sam."

"I know," he told me. "Don't worry."

I rested in his arms for a little bit longer before pulling away. Sam was going to be my ally in the arena, and he was the only friend I had. He was my only hope left.

We waved goodbye and I went up to my room. My stylist, Nimmi, was there to take me.

"Come on," she said. "Let's go." Her lazy body waddled with me to a helicopter. I had a secret grudge against her. She gave me and my district partner, Indigo, horrible chariot outfits. Now, I got several oinks and moos from others directed to me.

"Ignore them," Nimmi had once said. "They are just jealous they don't have a great stylist like you do."

I got into the helicopter and sat down in one of the seats near the back. I needed some time to think.

Sam and I were going to avoid the Cornucopia and run into safety together. I hoped it was a forest, where you could hide behind trees and run into safety. But the Games were always unpredictable, and you never knew what lurked in the arena.

All too soon, the helicopter landed and I was taken to a boring room with my stylist. Oh, what fun.

She put me into the arena outfit and put a tracker in my arm. A light pinch dug it under my skin. Nimmi gave me an awkward hug, and for the first time, it actually seemed like she cared. Just a little bit.

I waved as I shot down in the tube. I nervously shook as it stopped. It dropped me onto a pod and all the other twenty-three tributes were standing on similar ones. I found Sam and he gave me a reassuring smile.

The tributes were on pods around the golden Cornucopia. The sun was out and around us was water. It made swishing sounds and it made a nice sea breeze.

"Countdown to go starts now," said a programmed voice. It started with the number sixty.

There was platforms leading to four islands around us, but they were thin. You either had to swim your way out, or run fast down the platforms to another island and get away.

"Thirty.."

Some tributes were already planning their dash to the Cornucopia, and others were looking longingly to the safety of one of the four islands.

"Twenty.."

I looked to Sam and he signaled we would go to an island to our west, the closest platform that was near us.

"Ten.."

I held my breath.

"Five.."

I prayed.

"Four.."

I crossed my fingers.

"Three.."

I bit my lip.

"Two.."

I got ready to run.

"One. Tributes, welcome to the 57th Hunger Games. Go."

I took a deep breath, and ran.


	14. The Scent of Blood

**A/N: It's the first day in the arena! I'm terribly sorry if your tribute had to go into the bloodbath, but not all of the tributes can be winners. The first part is third person and the rest is in first person. I hope you enjoy it! Next chapter will be Day 2.**

**Also, there is a poll on my profile. Vote for the tribute you are supporting in the 57th Hunger Games! As tributes die, the tributes will be removed and only the living tributes will be in the poll. I will reset the poll every chapter there is deaths. So you can go vote again even if you've already had, now that the bloodbath tributes are gone.**

**Disclamer: I do not own the Hunger Games, or the characters in this story.**

**(Please tell me if I need to change something I am doing wrong for your character!)**

* * *

**(3rd Person)**

In the middle of the arena was the Cornucopia Island. This was where the tributes stood on their pods. To the north was North Island, to the east was East Island, to the south was South Island, and to the west was West Island. Water swished around the islands. There were thin platforms leading from the Cornucopia Island to each of the four islands around it. You had to swim or walk on the platforms to get to another island.

The programmed voice welcomed the tributes to the 57th Hunger Games. Finally, the cannon boomed.

The tributes left their pods and ran in around crazily. Some dashed onto the thin platforms and ran for an island. Some headed for the Cornucopia. Some just stood there all confused. The Careers grabbed weapons and a few lucky non-Careers grabbed some items too. Then the blood and all the cannon shots started.

Emton Jilius was the first death, for he didn't even try. Saffron Haver and Tancered Ride killed him off quickly.

Eira Talbot was a quick bird. She dashed into the Cornucopia wanting a bow and some arrows, but Adema Catasro grabbed a knife and slashed, so that was that for Eira.

Harley Kinect looked around for Connor, but while searching, Tasturn Nype hit her with a spear. She fell into the water and drowned, her last thoughts hoping Connor was safe.

Adema and Blake Kaitz saw Harley, a fellow Career who had just died, so they rushed over to kill Tasturn in revenge. His eyes stared up at them with a dead look as he was killed.

Leellia Sapnol tried desperately to run to safety. She attempted running onto a platform, slippery with blood, but slipped and Saffron took a swift kill.

Zea Dillum attempted to run like Leellia, but Tancered was quick to kill. Zea fell down into a puddle of blood. Clement Polvay, her ally, silently mourned her as he ran to another island.

Wesley Eldridge tried to run away with Thyme and Raina, but Adema and Tancered quickly got him. Thyme and Raina ran to safety of the island east.

The bloodbath was over.

**District 4**

**Blake Kaitz**

The rest of the Careers, who were still alive, moved away from the Cornucopia for a little. Only until all the bodies were taken by the hovercrafts. The scent of blood was sickening, and Skylar had to sit down from it.

Harley had been killed and Connor was nowhere to be seen. He ran off to the island west during the bloodbath.

After the hovercrafts left, I helped Skylar up and we went back to the Cornucopia in search of useful items. I found a brown backpack full of useful things and slung it over my shoulder. One item that was useful in the pack was the pair of sunglasses. I put them on and grinned at Skylar.

"How do I look?" I asked her teasingly.

She rolled her eyes.

We searched the clutter of items for water and found there was none. Either the others took them or there was none to begin with.

I went over to the water surrounding the Cornucopia Island and put my finger into it. I tasted a little bit of it.

"Salt water," I told them. "We'll have to find a water source."

The Careers, which included Skylar, Adema, Saffron, Tancered, and I, headed out in search of unlucky tributes and water. Adema clumsily tripped over pointless things while we walked. We went to the island west, in hope of maybe finding Connor there too. He either betrayed us, or was too frightened and ran away from all the blood. I believed he was just frightened, but Saffron disagreed.

After walking on the platform and arriving at the island, we found a busted up sign. It said, "_Welcome to West Island._"

Instantly, Adema found large coconuts on the ground and in the trees. She picked up a large one and cut it open with a knife.

"Coconut milk is good," she said. She took a swift drink and her face turned to puzzlement. "This isn't coconut milk." She took another drink. "It's water!"

We all crowded around her and looked inside it. It was water, sure enough. We picked up two coconuts for each of us and kept going.

Encouraged that we found water so quickly, we kept on going in search of more victims. We searched for a long time, then the sun started to seep low in the sky. We took the long journey back to the Cornucopia, and when we got there, it was dark. Adema tried to step onto the platform, but it wasn't there anymore. She screamed and tried to swim back up.

I jumped in and helped her back up. Being from District 4, I could swim pretty well. The water was actually only about seven feet deep.

I got back onto land, and Saffron turned to us.

"It probably only appears during daytime," he said. "We should camp here for the night." We all agreed and shared bananas from our backpacks together. We ate in silence as the cold night seeped in. The darker it got, the more it got colder. The first day was over.

Skylar huddled closer to me and shivered. I wrapped my arms around her, and I think her face turned pink in the darkness. I sighed satisfyingly.

The bloodbath was over too.

**District 6**

**Sam Trainor**

It was alright. Jay and I got out alright. I kept telling that to myself to stay sane.

"I can still smell it," Jay told me.

"Smell what?" I turned to her. We were walking around on West Island.

"The blood."

The blood still lingered on our clothes, our skin, and in our minds. Our arena outfits were ratty and ruined, and it was only the first day. Already, we were wishing the Games would be over.

There was a snap of twigs and a sound of tramping footsteps. Several voices were heard talking. Jay and I ducked behind a plant and peeked through it.

"I am so smart," said a high pitched girl. "Who would have thought of it?"

"We would have drunk it sometime, Adema," said an annoyed boy. The two from 4, the boy from 5, and the pair from 1 were walking past.

"The Career pack," Jay dared to whisper. I nodded and waited until they walked past.

"We should head back; there's no one on this island!" Adema said.

"A little further," the boy from 4 suggested.

Finally, the Career pack was out of sight. We sighed and got up from the ground behind the large plant. I brushed the sand off of my pants.

"What were they talking about?" asked Jay. "Something about a drink?"

"Water," I answered. They had found water somewhere.

"Let's keep going, Sam," she said. "Maybe we'll find what they found, but let's go opposite of where they're going." I agreed and we started to go the other way. Along the path we were taking, we made sure there were no traps or Gamemakers' toys. Anywhere could be a death toll.

After going in pointless directions for a long while, we decided to rest. The sun was sinking low over West Island. The birds and animal sounds slowly came to a rest as the sun said goodbye.

A sound interrupted my thoughts. It was a growling, an almost gurgling sound. With a start, I realized it was my stomach. We had no food or water, and the day's work taunted me. We needed to find a food and water source or we would starve.

Jay crawled over to several coconuts that had been lying under a tree. I watched as she opened the weak point of the coconut with a piece of palm tree bark. Her hands gripped and pulled it open. We gasped as we saw water inside.

"Isn't it supposed to be coconut milk?" I asked her.

"Apparently not in this arena," she replied, pulling off pieces of the coconut meat after finishing the water. We feasted on the meat and drank many other coconuts. I yearned to have a bag to keep them in for later, but I didn't get anything from the Cornucopia. Besides, the coconuts were everywhere you walked. I at least needed to get my hands on a knife.

The anthem rang out through the silence of the night. The cannon boomed seven times for seven deaths and showed the faces. Seventeen of us were left, and that was still a lot of tributes.

Jay scooted closer to me and leaned her head on my shoulder. I rested my head back against a tree and my eyes started to flutter. I had one more thought before falling asleep.

Hopefully we would still be alive when morning came around.

**District 8**

**Raina Capperide**

I gritted my teeth as a silent tear fell down my cheek. Half of it was from the effort of running, and half of it was from the death of Wesley in the bloodbath. At least Thyme was still with me, running beside me with quick breaths.

We stopped to rest once we were far in East Island. I hoped we had the good luck of everyone else being on another island.

I was partly the cause of Wesley's death. I had grabbed a backpack from the Cornucopia really quick, but Thyme and Wesley had stopped to wait for me. It had only been a moment, but that moment had caused his death. I still remembered him falling so quickly and quietly.

I brushed the thought away and opened the backpack. Inside, there were five granola bars, two pairs of gloves, a knife, and a small blanket. No water.

"There must be water around here somewhere," Thyme told me. I nodded and we shared a granola bar. Our stomachs still grumbled for more afterwards.

"Here, you take the knife," I said. I handed it to her. "Knives aren't my thing anyway." Poison and tricks were. I tried to smile a little.

"Okay." She didn't refuse.

We sat and caught our breath for a little while longer, before getting up and heading out. We walked in no certain direction, just to get away from people for awhile. Then, Thyme found a rounded sphere on the ground.

"Bingo," she said, holding up a coconut. There wasn't just one, but several. There must have been hundreds on them lying on the ground everywhere from that point on. We put four in my backpack to save for later. They probably had rich coconut milk in them.

We kept walking further through the jungle of palm trees and came across an edge of the island. Water slowly rolled up and back on the land. We washed our faces and got the gritty stuff off of our arena clothes.

I had just sighed with satisfaction, when Thyme screamed.

Several fish-type things started to jump out of the water. They grabbed on to our clothes and bit really hard.

"Run!" I yelled, grabbing the backpack. The fish jumped onto land and started bouncing to us.

"They don't need water to survive?" shouted Thyme.

"I guess not!" I shouted back. We ran into the safety of the palm trees, and the biting fish started bouncing back to the sea. I looked at them a little closer. They looked mechanical with glowing red eyes and a boney body.

We ran until we were far into the trees before we rested. Then we examined our wounds. I had a small bite mark on my arm, but Thyme had it worse. Her right leg was caked with blood, gushing onto the sandy and dirty ground.

I stripped off part of my black pants and wrapped it around her bloody leg. She groaned in pain, but it helped stop most of the flow.

"Just relax," I said. "Take a break." She nodded.

I breathed in through my nose, and out through my mouth. The blood of the day entered my thoughts as the sun started to go down.

At least we were alive and okay.

* * *

**A/N: Let's take a minute to say goodbye to our bloodbath tributes. Emton Jilius, Eira Talbot, Harley Kinect, Tasturn Nype, Leellia Sapnol, Zea Dillum, and Wesley Eldridge all died in this chapter.**


	15. Beware the Plant

**A/N: This is Day 2. If you wish to sponsor a tribute, details are at the bottom of this chapter. This chapter was very sad to write actually, but I had to do it.**

**Disclamer: I do not own the Hunger Games, or the characters in this story.**

**(Please tell me if I need to change something I am doing wrong for your character!)**

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**District 10**

**Indigo Wood**

I stumbled through the palm trees, barely surviving Day 1. It was Day 2 now, and I needed to find some water fast. Last night was really cold, but right now the sun blazed down on my scorching skin. My tongue felt like sandpaper, and it was really rough when I touched it. North Island showed no sign of water anywhere. I needed to head back to the Cornucopia Island and search for water there. But I didn't know if I could make it or not.

The palm trees towered over head, making a nice shade. There was also all these round things on the ground beside them. I had no idea what they were.

I slumped around in search of the platform to the Cornucopia Island. But another bad part was I had no idea where it was. I lost all sense of direction and the sun was almost taunting me. The heat was terrifyingly hot.

I hoped my mentor hadn't forgotten about me. I even tried calling for water, but it was like he was ignoring me. Where was the all the water?

I kicked another one of those round things and started to run blindly. I tripped and stumbled over plants and the different rounded spheres on the ground. I sat down to rest, my head spinning. Would I die here?

I leaned my head against a tall bulb plant. The bulb was strangely red, and the green stem was large. The stem had sharp, jaggedly spikes along it. I shrugged and my stringy hair dripped sweat down my face. I gasped for air and slowly closed my eyes to rest.

_Grrrr._

My eyes snapped open with alarm, scouting the area. My eyes darted to the palm trees around me, but no one was to be found.

_Grrrr._

A drip of warm, sticky stuff fell onto my head. I slowly looked up as the red bulb plant snapped his sharp teeth at me. Another round of drool fell from the plant's mouth.

I rolled away from it and he growled, trying to get to me. I started to run again and surprisingly, the plant chased me. He disconnected from the ground, his roots flying everywhere. His teeth showed me a deadly row of his shiny white teeth.

I ran as fast as I could, but the plant was just as fast. There were several hallucinations while running, but I was one hundred percent sure that the weird plant was one of the Gamemakers' traps. I tripped over a fallen palm tree and fell to the ground. The red bulb plant bit my leg with his sharp teeth. The pain was violent and gruesome, but as soon as he bit me, he recoiled into a regular non-alive plant right by me. His deed had been done. He had bit me with triumph.

I gasped, partly for water, partly from the pain. There was no use helping my leg now, I was going to die right here. The blood seeped through my pants and made a huge puddle where I was lying.

I was so thirsty. I wanted a drink of water before I died.

I looked up to see another one of those stupid round things next to my face, right before I closed my eyes.

**District 9**

**Timmy Hemja**

I was startled when the cannon boomed once. I looked up to the sky and found the hovercraft was nowhere to be seen. That meant it must've been on another island.

I finished drinking the water from a round coconut and put the shell of meat on the ground.

"We should go," said Ryan, my ally from 3. "Just in case the killer is still around." Yes, Ryan was my ally. This beautiful, talented, mysterious girl was my ally. I was very pleased and surprised when she had said yes during training. Why would she be friends with me? The weird one. Ha.

We cleaned up our coconut shells and threw them into some tangled plants. Careful to cover up we were ever there, we carried on deep into South Island.

"So, tell me about yourself," I said, attempting to make conversation. I gave her an easy smile.

She sighed. "There's not much to say about me. I'm Ryan, that's pretty much it."

"Oh c'mon," I teased. "There must be something about you. What's your favorite color?"

"Brown," she answered. "Brown, as in tough, strong brown eyes." I quickly noted that my eyes were a shade of brown.

I gave her a mocking seductive stare. "You mean like these eyes?" I flipped my hair dramatically.

"No!" she said, but she was laughing really hard. I loved her laugh, so carefree and sweet.

"Sure you do," I said simply. "Not one can resist them." I held my head high like a snoot.

Her grin faded. "So do a lot of people notice you, back home I mean?"

"Not really," I said truthfully. "A lot of the girls think I'm weird."

"Have you ever dated anyone of them?"

This was getting awkward. I scratched my head like I was thinking.

"Nope."

"Oh."

An awkward silence followed. We walked through the palm trees and plants quietly. Birds suddenly fell silent too, as if knowing we were in a moment.

We decided to sit down after another hour of walking. We weren't really hungry though, just tired. We decided to rest for the day and wait until any victims came around. To tell you the truth though, I hoped Ryan would do all the killing. I wasn't the killing type of person.

While we were resting, I examined Ryan's face. Her expression was full of determination and tiredness. I liked her for her attitude, not her prettiness. Although she _was_ very beautiful, I couldn't deny.

I grinned at my thoughts. Ryan Laurent.

"Ryan Laurent!" I yelped in surprise. Now I realized who she was. She was the famous daughter of L'Wren Laurent. "Daughter of L'Wren Laurent! I knew I recognized that name!"

Her face fell and she covered her face with her hands. "I didn't want you to know. All of you fans are overly obsessive and the same."

I crawled over to her and peeled her hands from her face. Then I kissed her squarely on the mouth.

"I love you just the way you are, Ryan. I don't care if you're famous or not."

I said it. I actually told her.

And I felt good about it.

**District 10**

**Jenilee 'Jay' Hunter**

I screamed as I woke up and saw the red headed girl, lingering over Sam in his sleep. Actually, red headed girl isn't exactly the best way to describe her. I recognized her from District 5, Omega. Her tattoos were recognizable and so were her piercings. She had a wild grin on her face, as well as a large sword in her hands.

Sam woke up as soon as I screamed. He scrambled away from her and tried to jump on me. No, not jump on me. He was trying to protect me.

"Just kill me!" he said. "Don't kill Jay!"

"Aww, an arena romance!" she laughed. "How sweet. Let's start with Mr. High and Mighty, shall we?" She sunk the sword deep into his chest.

"Jay," he gasped. "I'll always remember you, please just run!" The cannon boomed once.

I let out a choke of sadness as he fell lifeless on the sand. I had just got up to run before Omega grabbed me by the arm.

"Where do you think you're going, sweet pea?" she taunted. She had me trapped and she was going to kill me. I kicked her in the leg and she cried out in frustration, temporarily letting go of me. Then I ran faster than the wind itself. I ran and ran and ran, until I could no more. I doubled over and threw up most of last night's coconut meat. The thought made me sick.

I gasped for air and wished I had a water bottle. I didn't have the strength to open a coconut right now. I had just enough time to hide behind a large plant before Omega came into the clearing.

"Where are you little girl?" she sneered. "I'll find you." I watched between the plants as she left the clearing and went the other direction, before I ran back to the site where Sam died. He was still there, but I could hear the buzz of the hovercraft coming. That's when the tears started to flow.

"I'm sorry," I whispered. I kissed him on the forehead. He had been a good ally and good friend. I did not think of the romance that was forming between us, just the goodness he had done for me. I gave him one last squeeze to his hand and sat two yards away from him. The hovercraft picked him up and he was gone. He was probably already leaving the minds of the Capitol people.

I got up and turned to leave, when I bumped into someone. No, not Omega. The boy from 3, Epoch Selio. Surprised, I just stood there staring at him. He clenched his knife.

"I'm sorry, but I have to get home to Tigress." I closed my eyes and the knife entered my heart.

I will join Sam Trainor in the sky tonight.

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**A/N: Don't we all hate Omega and Mouse now? Well, there's plenty of evilness left. As I said, this was a fun but sad chapter to make. Let's take a moment to say goodbye to the tributes that died on Day 2. Indigo Wood, Sam Trainor, and Jenilee 'Jay' Hunter, you will be missed.**

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	16. Never Trust

**A/N: This is the Day 3 chapter. Don't forget to vote on the polls that are updated every chapter and also, don't forget to sponsor a tribute! Details were on the last chapter.**

**Disclamer: I do not own the Hunger Games, or the characters in this story.**

**(Please tell me if I need to change something I am doing wrong for your character!)**

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**District 6**

**Jewel Johnson**

It was Day 3, and I was scouting along East Island. Fourteen tributes were left in such a short amount of time. Who would be the next victim?

I scaled a tall palm tree and saw that the Cornucopia Island was unoccupied. The Careers had probably left in search of tributes. I wanted to go there to get more supplies, because I was running low on the things in my backpack.

I dropped down the tree and brushed myself off of the ground. I slung my backpack onto my back and took the long journey back to the platforms. The sun sailed high over head in the blue sky. The sun was hot, but I cooled down with a few of the coconuts from my backpack. Birds chirped and whistled random tunes throughout the walk.

When I got there, the sun was farther up in the sky. I crossed a long platform and dug my feet into the sand of the Cornucopia Island. The golden horn shined against the sun's rays and blinded me. I ran up into it and found many items still there. I took packs of food and a bow with some arrows that I never got to the first time. I refilled my pack quickly, grabbing some useful things, but not making it too heavy. Then I headed back to East Island, because it was a promising safe place.

As I was walking on the platform back to East Island, I saw a girl watching me from West Island. She was small like me, about thirteen. Her eyes watched me cross the platform to East Island. I took my time, for if the girl started to run after me, I would have a great head start from where I was at.

I reached the safety of the palm trees in no time. I decided to climb a tree and see if the girl was still there. At the top, I saw nobody still watching me. Perhaps it was just a hallucination from the sun and the heat.

At the top of the palm tree, I had a light lunch of salted crackers and water. I had just sipped the final drip of water from a coconut, when I saw something flying towards me. As it got closer, I was startled to see it was a bird. But it wasn't just an ordinary bird; it was a strange deadly looking bird with sharp knife claws.

I scrambled down the tree and started to run away from the bird. The bird dipped into the trees and flew right behind me. I let out a slight scream as it got closer.

I pushed myself to run elsewhere, to get away from the thing. Then it streaked down and yanked on my hair.

I yelled for help, but instantly thought better of it. I shot an arrow at the bird and it fell to the ground with a clunk.

I guess I would be feasting on strange bird tonight.

**District 12**

**Thyme Dija**

I shifted my sore leg to a better position and groaned in pain. At least it had stopped bleeding, and I could walk around fairly well. Curse those mechanical fish things!

Raina Capperide, my ally, opened up a coconut for me. I enjoyed the cool water in the back of my itchy throat. I closed my eyes for a brief moment of rest.

"Thyme, we need to get going," Raina told me. I nodded and she helped me up. "Can you walk alright?" she asked.

"Yeah," I answered. My leg felt good to be stretched.

We took it slowly at first. Then we walked a little faster. Then we were going at a normal pace. My leg was doing pretty good, especially since it had been bitten by a weird fish thing two days ago.

"Where are we going?" I asked Raina. We hadn't really explained it, but Raina was the leader. I guess she was leader because she was more fit and older for the job than I was.

"We are going to scout out a victim," she said. "Do you think you can kill okay with that leg of yours?"

Even though I had a bad leg, I could still kill just fine. I wish I had a spoon. Killing people with spoons were very entertaining.

"Of course," I said.

We walked on and on through East Island, until we found a small pond. Tiny little frogs were jumping in and out of it. Tiny insects were cooling off.

Raina got down and put her hand inside the pond. She swished it around, temporarily playing with the annoyed frogs. That's when I think one of the frogs bit her or something.

"Ouch," she said. "Bad frog." We got up from the pond and carried on deep into East Island. After another three hours of walking, my leg was bad again. My leg threatened to bleed, so we stopped to rest for a moment. Raina seemed like she was in need of a rest too; her face was a pale green.

"You okay?" I asked her cautiously.

"I'm fine," she said. She swallowed and tried to smile at me with reassurance. I obviously knew something was up.

"What's wrong?" I asked again. "Do you feel alright?"

She gasped and started to choke on the air. Her eyes bulged out and her hands gripped the sand.

"Raina!" I screamed. I got out one of the coconuts and tried to give it to her. "Drink! Raina, please drink! You're choking!"

She was sprawled out on the sand now, her face twisted into a fit of pain. She gasped for her last gulps of sweet air.

"Poison," she croaked.

"Poison what?" I yelled. "Did I eat it too?"

"Poison frog," she whispered with effort. Her eyes were locked on mine as I remembered when the frog had bit her earlier. Her body turned frozen, but her eyes still loomed on me. I closed them with my fingers and gave her a slight hug.

"Rest in peace, Raina," I said with no tears. "Rest in peace."

**District 4**

**Skylar Reminda**

I was running away. My feet galloped like the wind, eager to go some place new. The shark fin had only been a few feet from where we washed our faces, but it was enough to scare me away. I had a huge fear for sharks.

I heard the Career pack calling my name, but I didn't stop. I ran until I couldn't breathe. I was now lost; I had no idea where the Career pack even was. I was alone.

I closed my eyes for a moment to shut out the thoughts of being alone in the twisted world. What other horrors would the arena bring? I was ready to get out of it.

I heard a rustle in the bushes and saw someone or something was there.

"Who's there?" I asked.

Another rustle shook the bushes.

"Show yourself!" I shivered with fear.

He popped out and I screamed. Oh, thank goodness! I ran to him and gave him a hug, sighing with relief.

"We knew we would find you here," I told him. "Did you get lost?"

Connor smiled and nodded. "Where are the others?"

"I got lost," I answered. "C'mon, let's go and see if we can find them. I'm sure we're not far off track of their path." I nervously bit my lip. I knew this wasn't true; they were probably far away from us now.

His head cocked to an angle and he smiled sweetly at me. "Is that so?" He got closer to me and grabbed my hand with his. "I'm so glad I found you." Something in his weird grin made me take a step back.

"Yeah." I scanned his figure with precaution. To my horror, his hand held a shiny knife. "What's that for, Connor? Did you kill anything?"

"Not yet," he told me. "But I'm thinking you might be my first victim. Would you like that?"

I turned to run, but he threw the knife into my back. I screamed and fell to the ground as he looked down at me. He took out his knife that was now bloody and glanced at me. His psychotic grin made me afraid for my life.

"Did you really think you could run?" he asked, petting my hair. I tried to bite his hand, but he laughed. He turned me over to face him and traced a heart shape where my heart was.

"Please don't," I begged. "They will come for you anyway." My back was still soaking with blood. I was slowly losing consciousness.

His laugh terrified and startled me. Making gashes of blood on my face with his knife, I closed my eyes. This was how I was going to die.

The world was shifting fast under my body. I heard someone yell and try to come to me. Connor laughed one last time before fleeing. I saw Blake clenching to my hand, telling me to stay with him. I thought I saw an angel soothing him, right before I left.

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**A/N: Let's have a moment of silence for Raina Capperide and Skylar Reminda. We will miss you.**


	17. Twisted

**A/N: I just realized how fast these Games are going! Wow. Anyway, this is Day 4 and 5. The next chapter will be the final eight interviews with family members and friends of the tributes. If you are sensitive to creepy killings and blood, I would probably skip Connor's POV in this chapter. You have been warned.**

**Disclamer: I do not own the Hunger Games, or the characters in this story.**

**(Please tell me if I need to change something I am doing wrong for your character!)**

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**Note to Anonymous: Tancered gets his sponsor gift in this chapter! I'm sorry; it sort of just slipped my mind.**

**District 5 (Sponsor Gift)**

**Tancered Ride**

We were scouting along the edge coast of West Island in search of any wandering tributes. That's when the silver glint shot down through the blue sky. It somehow landed directly at my feet.

"What's that?" Adema asked. Her curious eyes landed on the present.

"A sponsor gift," Blake said.

It was something big wrapped in shiny silver packaging. I tore it open and we all gasped. I took it out and examined the blade.

"A death scythe," I breathed.

**District 11**

**Clement Polvay**

Today I was going to the Cornucopia, probably the most deadly place I could go to. The Careers would probably be there waiting for victims, just like me. I planned to kill at least one of them to revenge my ally, Zea, for her death in the bloodbath. I didn't really care for her like a sister, but I cared for her like a friend. A friend who deserved a chance at life.

I walked through an island I didn't remember the name of. When I had arrived to this island, I had only briefly glanced at the sign saying, "_Welcome to.._". I hadn't bothered to look at what island it was. I had been running fast to get away from the others.

Tramping through the warm palm trees, I arrived at the platform leading to the Cornucopia Island. I looked to the wooden sign that scrawled, "_Welcome to North Island_". So that's where I had been.

I crossed the platform slowly, as if slowing my death. I stared into the water that surrounded it and found that my reflection was exhausted. The hair that fell in heaps over my eyebrows was matted with grease and dirt. My face was full of horror, probably because I was about to go to my death.

It wasn't like I wanted to die; I really didn't. I just wanted to show the Careers that they couldn't control the whole Games. Finally, a regular district kid would step up and show them who was boss.

I stepped on to the Cornucopia Island and searched inside the Cornucopia. I grabbed a spear, one of my favorites, and got out into the open. The sky was lit up by the sun, and several thin clouds streaked high in the sky. I wondered if a thunderstorm was on its way in a couple of days. That's always how we predicted weather in District 11 for our crops.

I had to wait for awhile before I saw the first Career point to me from West Island. He grouped the Careers and they charged down the platform, one even swimming in the water instead of walking.

I gripped my spear with a new layer of nervousness and took a deep breath. I almost heard my mentor, Rento, screaming for me to run.

"_What are you doing, you jack-snapper?" he shouted into my face. His mustard breath made my eyes water._

"I will show them," I muttered to Panem. No doubt they'd be on this scene right now. They would see my death.

The Careers stepped onto the island and yelled like a pair of lunatics. I hurled my spear at a young boy with a determined expression. He dropped dead and the girl from District 1 got down on her knees to help him. The one who was swimming earlier turned to me with anger, but the boy from 5 got to me first. His death scythe entered my chest.

I smiled in triumph while the pain sunk in. The girl from 1 was crying and shaking the boy on the ground violently.

"Saffron!" she screamed. "Wake up, you muffin nut!"

I didn't have time to register that, because I was already slipping away. But for real, who was the winner today? I was.

I had killed a Career.

**District 2**

**Connor Flipsye**

It was slowly turning to night as I sneaked through South Island. Death was better at night; the fear was more enjoyable.

I had just entered a small clearing, when I saw two figures cuddled up against each other. I praised my luck and quickly got closer. What was it with all the love birds? Didn't they realize they would have to kill each other sooner or later? Oh well, romances made it more fun.

I took two strong pieces of rope from my backpack and tied their hands together. Then I did their feet. I was careful to be quiet and do the knots just right, so they wouldn't come undone. Working with the knots section during training with Harley paid off.

I just finished the girl's feet, when she woke up and screamed. The scream woke up the boy, who instantly started to bounce over to the girl.

"Let us go!" the girl yelled at me.

"I'll let the Capitol take care of that," I told her with a grin. "Once you're dead of course."

"You idiot!" the boy squinted his eyes at me. "You're that boy from 2 who is weak and all!"

"Good job," I said with a fake clap of my hands. "The weak boy from 2, that's me."

They squirmed, cursed at me, and even tried to bounce their way over to me. I sat there for awhile watching them before finally getting up.

"Who should I start with?" I asked. I got out my knife that glinted in the moonlight.

"Me first," the boy said in defeat. "Just don't hurt Ryan, you hear me? I will haunt you if you do!" His expression was serious and hard. He moved over to protect Ryan.

I kicked him out of the way and got full view of the girl. I sunk the knife into one part of her stomach and she cried out in pain.

"Ryan!" the boy yelled. He tried to get back over to her, but I kicked him again. His eyes rolled back into his head, and he fell into unconsciousness.

"Timmy!" Ryan groaned. I put the knife into another part of her stomach and she choked for air. The knife slowly went in and out of different parts of her stomach, and I laughed as she whimpered in pain. I put my fingers into her blood and scooped some of it up. Timmy woke back up and tried to get back to Ryan once again.

"You see this, Timmy?" I asked him, holding up the handful of blood. "You didn't protect her very well."

He moaned her name over and over as I did the same thing to him as I did to Ryan. He rolled over as the knife jabbed deep several times. They both gasped for their last breaths of air.

I smelled the blood on my knife and grinned, their wails filling the night with delicious sounds.

**District 3**

**Epoch 'Mouse' Selio**

I woke up the next day and sighed. It was Day 5, and last night showed only eight tributes left. That meant there would be interviews with our family members and friends back home. I wondered if Tigress would be interviewed by the Capitol people.

I struggled to remember who was still alive. The girl from 1, surprisingly the small boy from 2, the boy from 4, the tributes from 5, the little girl from 6, the girl from 12, and I were still alive. The competition was fierce; four tributes had died only yesterday.

East Island was a strangely okay island. I had not encountered any traps or tributes yet, so thank goodness. I did not feel like running away from a trap or killing another innocent tribute. Guilt filled me when I saw the girl's face from 10 in the sky, the night I had killed her. Tigress would not have liked that I killed someone so harmless for her. I squeezed my eyes shut and thought about home. I longed so much to be there right now.

One main thing I wanted to get to was the Careers. I resented them for killing so many at the bloodbath. I needed to somehow kill them off. That would make things a lot easier.

I walked through several palm trees and heard some kind of grunting noise. As I got closer, I realized it was a voice.

"Keep going, Thyme," it said. "Pick your leg up and keep on going." She entered the clearing I was in and stepped back in surprise. She was shocked at first, but then she held out a knife and coconut in defense.

"Get back," she snarled. "Or I will kill." She held the coconut in a throwing position.

I held my own knife out in case she got too close. "I'm not going to kill," I said.

"You aren't?" she asked in confusion.

I took a deep breath. "No, I am set out to kill the Careers."

Thyme drew back her knife and thankfully, her coconut. She propped down on the sand and thought about it. She glared and examined me carefully.

"I'm on my way to the Careers too," she said slowly. Something told me she was very self cautious. "You want to join me?"

I considered the offer carefully. I couldn't go against three Careers all at once. Two against three would higher the chances, especially if this girl was a skilled one. I believe she was though, in her interview she said she could kill a person many different ways.

"Come on," I said, heading toward the Cornucopia. I walked swiftly through the palm trees, and Thyme had to run to catch up.

"Where are you going?" she asked.

"Let's go kill the Careers." I stopped and turned to her, my eyes darting to her expression.

"Yes." She took out her coconut again and held it in a weapon mode. "Let's go kill the Careers!" She jumped up in cheerfulness, then instantly groaned when she landed. "Second thought, let's not jump like that again." She trudged forward, limping on her leg.

I rolled my eyes. She was weird.

I think Tigress would be happy watching me make a friend.

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**A/N: Vote on the final eight poll for the tribute you are supporting! Also, don't forget to sponsor a tribute. Details are on Chapter 15.**

**Take a minute to mourn Saffron Haver, Clement Polvay, Timmy Hemja, and Ryan Laurent.**


	18. From An Innocent View

**A/N: Sorry, I've had sort of a lazy weekend. And with school starting back up tomorrow, the updates might be little slower than usual. This is the interviews with family and friends of the final eight. At the bottom, there is a sponsor gift to someone, and it hints what is coming for the next chapter (Day 6). **

**Disclamer: I do not own the Hunger Games, or the characters in this story.**

**(Please tell me if I need to change something I am doing wrong for your character!)**

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**District 1 (Best Friend of Adema Catasro)**

**Laney Michealson**

I smoothed my pixie cut hair with my hands. I nervously smiled at the Capitol camera crew and people. Usually, I wouldn't have been this nervous for something less important, but this was my best friend we were talking about! She was in the Hunger Games, and any information they got from me could hurt her. Oh Adema, you should have let me go instead.

"So you are the girl she volunteered for, correct?" a Capitol lady asked.

"Yes," I answered. "That is correct."

"What was your reaction to this?" The camera zoomed in on my face.

"I was really shocked and scared," I admitted. "I love Adema, and if I knew she would ever do that I would've stopped her."

"How do you think Adema is doing in the Games?"

"Well, I think she is doing fine," I said. "She just needs to find the right moment to outsmart everyone. She'll be the one to win for sure!"

The Capitol lady nodded and smiled. "Do you think Adema will come home?"

I thought about my crazy, silly, sarcastic, weird, funky, coffee-high, and best friend. Would she really come home with all those adjectives following her?

"No doubt about it." I smiled.

**District 2 (Mother of Connor Flipsye)**

**Robin Flipsye**

Paparazzi and cameras flickered on and off around me. They all wanted a look at the creepy killer's mother. They all wanted to see my expression, and they all wanted to know how I felt about it.

"How do you feel about your son, now that he is who he is in the Games?" someone asked.

I stared at them for awhile. I was shocked, surprised, and sad about my son. How could I sum it up in one word?

"I feel terrified." White lights blinded me with the flashing of cameras. This was probably going to go on the headlines of Capitol newspapers.

"Did you have any idea he could kill so easy?" One asked.

"Is he always like that at home?" Another said.

"Do you like that your son is a psychotic murderer?" One yelled.

Did I like that my son was a psychotic murderer? I shielded my eyes as tears began to flow down my cheeks. I ran into the safety of my house and locked the door. The windows were closed and the curtains were down. I could mourn and think about the statement all day in this sad house.

My son was a psychotic murderer.

**District 3 (Best Friend/Crush/Lover? of Epoch 'Mouse' Selio)**

**Tigress Peaks**

I gripped the chair I was sitting in with a growing fear. The Capitol people rushed into the room to interview me. The TV buzzed with recaps of Mouse. _My_ Mouse in _those_ Games.

"What are you to Epoch, Tigress?" They emphasized my name with a Capitol flare.

"His best friend," I muttered softly. The cameras flashed and people wrote some things down. The cameramen held the cameras way too close to my face.

"Do you think it's possible that Epoch will come back out alive?" one asked.

I closed my eyes so I could shut out the thoughts of his death. How would he die? How would he win? How would he come back to the safety of District 3? My fingernails dug deeper into the cushion chair I was sitting in.

"He will come back," I said. A tear threatened to slip, but I had to stay strong for Mouse. "He will."

A Capitol lady brought me a couple of tissues, and another person brought me a cup of hot tea. They all seemed to mourn with me about Mouse. They all seemed to understand my position in the Games, watching Mouse having to survive in a death sentence on live television.

But all Capitol people were the same. They would never really care about me or my Mouse.

**District 4 (Brother of Blake Kaitz)**

**Jake Kaitz**

I tried to smile to the crowd of people. They were all from the Capitol and here to interview Blake's brother, me. One of them even blew a kiss to me.

"What was your reaction when Blake volunteered?" someone threw out.

"I was sad and a little bit angry," I said. "I know I was chosen, but he didn't have to volunteer for me!" I flashed back to the scene where he stood up for me during the reaping. The flashback only lasted a moment before the Capitol people snapped me back to life.

"Where did you guys live?" another asked. Notice how he said _did_ and not _do_. I tried to regain my posture of coolness and calm, but they were really pushing my buttons.

"We _still_ live at an orphanage," I said through gritted teeth. "It is an okay place to live. There are a lot of friendly kids there."

"Do you think Blake has a chance of coming home?"

"What kind of question is that?" I asked with a roll of my eyes. "Of course he'll come back home and be the victor of the 57th Hunger Games. Isn't it obvious?" I smiled.

**District 5 (Mother of Tancered Ride)**

**Sephetho Ride**

My fifteen year old son was what brought all this attention. It was my son who had brought me the fame and it was hard to admit, but the fortune too. He played his little games in the Games, and I got richer and more famous by the minute. When he came out as the victor, we would move into a victor's home and be forever happy. Right?

I sighed and pulled back my hair as a Capitol man asked me another question. His golden eye shadow loomed across his eyelids, making it look like he was a fortune teller.

"Where do you think Tancered got all of his talent?"

Surprisingly, I had no idea. Back then, he showed no hint that he had a killing skill. Maybe because he was in the Games now, it had finally sprung to him.

"I think he naturally had all of his talent deep inside of him," I said.

The Capitol ate me up and to tell you the truth, I sort of liked it for a change.

**District 5 (Best Friend of Omega Von Dirge)**

**Alpha Wren**

When I woke up, I glared straight into the cameras of the Capitol. Many of them were just standing over me, watching what I would do. Had they been stalking me while I was sleeping?

"We're here for the interview," one said. The interview for Omega! Oh yeah, how could I have forgotten? I had stayed up late last night to watch Omega survive through the night, and I had only gotten a few hours of sleep.

"Oh right," I said.

"We'll start with the first question," another told me. I straightened my hair and tried to smile a little bit, but it didn't work at too well. I always ended up thinking about how I hated the Capitol people for making Omega go into the Games. How dare they do that to her.

"Are you Omega's boyfriend?" someone asked.

My face instantly turned a little bit hot, so I turned away. "Just best friends."

So it went on like this. One would ask a question, and then I would answer. Simple really. All the while, I wished and hoped Omega would survive another day.

**District 6 (Sister of Jewel Johnson)**

**Chloe Johnson**

"I didn't want her to go," I said. My eyes remained strong and hopeful for the Capitol cameras. "I would have volunteered if I could, but then Jewel would have found some way to work her way back into the Games. She would have gone for me." The corners of my eyes started to wet and tear up a little bit.

"How did you feel when she made that trip to the Cornucopia?" someone asked.

"I was so nervous," I admitted. "She was lucky that the Careers were not around. They were scouting an island instead."

I twisted my fingers into a complicated knot of nervousness.

"Do you believe she will come back out of those Games as a victor?" a lady pondered.

"I believe she can do anything," I told them. "She is an amazing sister who will stop at nothing to get what she wants. She is a determined, hardworking sister, and that's how I know she _will _come back out of those Games." I nodded and used hand gestures for dramatic effect. The Capitol people nodded and some even chuckled. But I was very sure of what I had said.

My sister would come home.

**District 12 (Father of Thyme Dija)**

**Gust Dija**

I laughed half-heartedly as I watched the scene where Thyme became an ally of the boy from 3 again. She acted more of herself in the Games than the quiet girl I had known after her sister died. I guess she was feeling more like herself, since she figured she only had a few days before she died. Maybe even less than that.

"What do you make out of the alliance?" asked a Capitol person.

"I think it is good that she is making friends," I said truthfully. "She'll need all the help she can get to go up against those Careers."

"How did you feel when she volunteered for that little girl?" another asked.

"Well," I started. "I felt as though she had made a connection with her deceased sister."

"Do you think Thyme has a chance against those Careers?"

I didn't know. She was an unpredictable girl, so she could do anything.

"I just hope it's something smart," I said. "I have a feeling she will do something wise and strong. She may not win the Games, but she will always be a victor to me."

Thyme, my daughter.

**District 12 (Sponsor Gift) (From TeamCan'tWeAllGetAlong)**

**Thyme Dija**

I sneezed and glanced around suspiciously. Someone was either thinking or talking about me.

We were walking towards the Cornucopia to find the Careers, but before we could go any further, a silver parachute landed in front of me.

"What could it be?" Mouse picked it off of my feet and handed it to me.

I examined the little brown box and carefully opened it. Inside, there was a long silver spoon. My mind instantly flashed back to my interview with Caesar.

"_I can kill with different random things," I told Caesar. "Do you want to see what I can do with a spoon?"_

Obviously Haymitch thought I could actually do something with it.

A smile slipped my lips as I tucked the spoon into my hand. That's when we heard the scream from the girl from 1.

It was time to try out my new weapon.


	19. Quickly

**A/N: This is Day 6, and I'm sorry there is only two POVs. But it works out really well. The next chapter will also be interesting. Muhaha.**

**Disclamer: I do not own the Hunger Games, or the characters in this story.**

**(Please tell me if I need to change something I am doing wrong for your character!)**

* * *

**District 5**

**Tancered Ride**

I gripped my death scythe as we searched East Island. Adema was squirreling behind me with her knife, and Blake was sulking to the side of me. He was angry that I had declared myself the leader after Saffron's death, and he was also frustrated that he could not save Skylar in time.

"Stop moping," I told him harshly. "Your girlfriend is dead. Get over it."

The boy looked like he was about to choke me with his hands. He turned to me and struck my face with his fist.

"Don't you ever talk about her like that," he warned. I almost grinned and threw a punch back, but then Adema cut between us.

"Guys, shut up!" she snapped. "We're going to work as a team and find the other tributes, got it?"

Blake gave me a death threatening glare, and then retreated to walk by Adema behind me.

I ran my finger along the edge of the death scythe and frowned. They both would have to die tonight. I could not take their innocence and uselessness. They no longer had Saffron to help them out and lead them, and they certainly weren't listening to me as leader.

"Perhaps we'll find someone worth fighting today," I muttered. My mind fluttered instantly to my district partner, Omega. I remembered how she looked so confident on that interview stage, and how she acted so sure of herself. I decided I would be the one to kill her that very day.

"I'll find him," Blake said. I glanced at him and saw that he was secretly planning something. But as soon as Adema asked who he was talking about, I knew the answer. He was hunting down the killer of Skylar, Connor.

Adema gave him a sympathetic look, but I just sneered and shook my head. That boy was pathetic.

We entered a fairly large clearing and looked around. Adema squealed and ran to a bush with juicy berries on it.

"Look!" she exclaimed. "This means something! This means something good is going to happen!" I rolled my eyes, but suddenly heard her blood chilling scream.

What I suddenly saw was a sight to see. The District 12 girl ran forward and shoved a spoon down Adema's throat, finishing her off with a knife. Adema fell silently and the cannon boomed. Blake and I stared the boy from 3 and the girl from 12 down. Slowly, like in movies or dramatic TV shows, we circled around each other.

"We can do this the easy way," Blake broke the silence. "Or the hard way."

The boy from 3 snickered, as the girl from 12 lunged at me. I blocked her knife and attacked her with my death scythe. She fell with a scream and attempted to throw her knife at me. It was a feeble attempt, and I laughed as it fell off course. The girl's eyes closed, and the cannon sounded once again. It was now two against one.

"It's your turn," I growled at the boy.

"In your dreams," he grunted. He leaped at me, catching me off guard for a sly second, and sunk his weapon into me. I tried to slash my death scythe at him, but ended up falling from the pain. The red oozed along my black outfit with a dull numbness. I didn't recognize the feeling; maybe because I was never familiar with it before.

It was the feeling of death.

**District 5**

**Omega Von Dirge**

West Island was _my _island. No one was going to be on _my _island without being killed. I laughed as I heard the faint sound of three cannon shots in the distance on another island. The more the merrier.

I used my sword as a cane, as I walked through the jungle island. Panem would be glued to their screens, watching the battle that was happening somewhere else. I wondered if Tancered was still alive. I wanted to kill him for myself.

I sighed with the want for attention. But first, I needed a mere victim. Trying to scout out someone wasn't fun, especially if there were _four _islands they could be on. Five if you counted the Cornucopia Island.

Hopping along a muddy spot, I was surprised when I fell in. The mud was almost sucking me in! I was knee deep in the quick moving mud. I cried out in frustration when I couldn't pull myself out.

"Help!" I cried uselessly. I was surprised when I saw "help" aiming straight at me. "Stop!" The girl eyed me carefully and slowly dropped her bow and arrow to her side. I sighed and thanked my lucky stars. "Can you help me?" I asked her.

She stared and said, "Lie on your back."

"That won't help!" I protested. I was sinking fast now.

"If you want to live, just do it!" she demanded. She put her bow and arrow down on the ground and ran over to me with a huge stick.

I lied back, and found my legs were sinking to the surface. I grabbed the large stick and held on until the girl had pulled me out. I scowled at the gross sight of all the mud on my legs.

"Thanks," I said breathlessly.

She shyly stepped back and retreated to her bow and arrow on the ground. I watched as the last bit of my sword sunk into the sinking mud. I only had my bare hands now.

I turned to her to find her bow and arrow aimed at me once again. She saved my life; should I really try to kill her? Her hard eyes never faltered against mine.

"I won't kill you," I said slowly.

"You promise?" I realized that the girl was exhausted and not going to kill. I smiled sweetly and nodded. She didn't exactly take this as a yes, but she certainly didn't take it as a no either. As soon as she put down the bow and arrow, I jumped and pinned her down on the ground. She screamed and desperately tried to get me off of her.

"Listen, girly." I grinned. "I'm going to kill you quick for your good deed to me." I snapped her head sideways, and the final word she muttered was "heartless".

Her face was forever twisted into a heartless position.

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**A/N: Take a moment to say goodbye to Adema Catasro, Thyme Dija, Tancered Ride, and Jewel Johnson.**


	20. In Your Dreams and Memories

**A/N: This is Day 7 chapter, and it only has 2 POVs again. I'm sorry, but it works out really well. The next chapter will be in third person, and it will be Day 8. This chapter was very fun to make. **

**Don't forget to vote on the new poll!**

**Disclamer: I do not own the Hunger Games, or the characters in this story.**

**(Please tell me if I need to change something I am doing wrong for your character!)**

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**District 2**

**Connor Flipsye**

I had switched from South Island to East Island. Maybe I would find my next victims there instead. There were only four tributes left, and I bet they were already making big bets on who would win.

Blake was the cheap one who would die quickly, broken from his "girlfriend". The boy from 3, Epoch, was a fast one. He would be a little harder to kill. Omega would be the hardest, because she was deadly in her own way.

A rumble was heard in the distance. The clouds were dark and huge, signaling a big thunderstorm to come soon. Lightning flashed in the distance, and I stumbled. I took a deep breath and continued on through East Island.

Water lapped at my heels from the sea, so I retreated to higher island land. The rain began to start, slowly at first, but then pounding down. The puddles sloshed noisily when I stepped into them. I started to take a slow trot deeper into the island. Another flash of lightning flashed, and I almost cried out in surprise.

Running quickly now, I bumped into something warm. The something instantly gripped his knife. With a start, I realized it was a person. Blake.

"You!" he screamed with his hair matted with water. The rain and thunder were loud now.

I nervously glanced at the sky. Why now? I started to run back the other way.

"Get back here!" he yelled. He started to run very fast, advancing on me. I was fast, yes, but this person was a monster. He was _angry_.

He tackled me and I tried to scramble away. "You're not getting away this time." His eyes were almost glowing red in the dark storm. I grabbed my knife and got into a defense position. His knife was up as well.

He charged and I dodged quickly. Rolling to the side, I tried to come back to stab him, but he was quick as well. He tried to come down with the knife like a sword, but I deflected it with my own knife. It made a small metal clashing noise against the rain. His knife fell and I punched his chest into a tree. There was no escape now.

_Flash._

I gasped as I saw the lightning streak across the sky. I dropped my knife on the ground and curled up into a ball. The lightning. The lightning! _The lightning. _

"Make it stop!" I shouted.

Blake, who was momentarily confused, hesitated. Realizing it was his chance, he grabbed his knife. Then he tried to pry me out of my curled up position. Once he did, I felt the knife sink in slowly.

"This is what you deserve," he whispered deadly. His eyes were bloodshot in the rainy scene. "You killed Skylar."

I smiled up at him and laughed. My laugh obviously startled him, thinking I would be bawling right about now.

"You think you have won, don't you?" I asked him. My laugh echoed through the howling wind and rain.

"I did!" he said. "You lost!"

"But who really won, Blake?" I rolled his name on my tongue with pleasure.

"Me!" he shouted. He got fuzzier and fuzzier by the second.

"But I killed her," I whispered. "I killed her. Now you're all alone." I closed my eyes, still smiling with content.

"No," he said.

"I'll always be with you," I said. "In your dreams and memories."

His scream filled my mind with luxurious sound, as I accepted my death.

**District 4**

**Blake Kaitz**

_Boom._

I watched the blood slowly drip off my knife. The scream I had just uttered had sounded louder than I had expected it to. His eyes were wide open, and his mouth was curved into a smile. I backed away from him, as if expecting him to come back to life.

"_I'll always be with you," he said. I cried out in disbelief. Who was this person?_

I looked behind my shoulder as I walked away, and the hovercraft appeared. His eyes were still locked on me, as he was lifted and taken away from the arena. I turned back around and tried to focus on who was left. There was that boy from 3, Epoch, and the girl from 5, Omega. I needed to find them to get my mind off of the boy.

"Tributes of the 57th Hunger Games!" Claudius Templesmith rang out. I sort of slipped on a puddle in surprise. The rain slowly turned to a soft sprinkle.

"Congratulations for staying in the Games this long! In honor of this, there is a feast waiting at the Cornucopia Island for you guys." You could almost hear the danger and blood in his offer. "Don't be late," he said. It was very silent afterwards.

I started out of East Island towards Cornucopia Island. The walk would take about thirty minutes. I hoped the other two got there first. Then I would come in and finish off whomever.

I sipped from a coconut while walking. I would need my strength to fight.

The soft clicking of the insects and the birds instantly stopped, as I arrived at the platform to the feast. The Cornucopia shined with a rainy gleam, and the sea slowly lapped up the sand of East Island. Either no one was there yet, or they were waiting for another tribute to make a move.

"_You think you have won, don't you?"_

I took a step onto the platform. I guess I was going to be the first one to be brave.

"_But who really won?"_

I would be the one to win this thing.

"_I killed her. Now you're all alone."_

I started to run across the platform to the feast of death. What was I doing? I was going to cause someone to run after me! I slowly returned to a mild walk. Breathing hard, I arrived at the Cornucopia Island out of breath. There was a lot of food sitting on a silver table. Not able to contain myself, I started to grab some food and shove it in my mouth. A warm cranberry sauce filled my taste buds.

"_I'll always be with you."_

"Hello."

Connor?

A quick snap to my neck left me dead on the silver table.

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**A/N: Goodbye to Connor Flipsye and Blake Kaitz. Did you catch Connor's hidden fear? And who do you think killed Blake? Mouse or Omega? Or could it have possibly been Connor?**


	21. Breaking Away

**A/N: Okay, so this is the final two and the official final chapter. There will be an epilogue for the winner though. Thank you so much for submitting and participating in the 57th Hunger Games. I am writing a sequel, so make sure you submit a tribute to it once it comes out!**

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**(3rd Person)**

Omega, one of the two tributes left, twisted Blake's neck until it popped painfully. He dropped to the ground with a horrid expression and cranberry sauce on his lips.

Her scaling eyes darted around the island swiftly. Where was her next prey?

**;;;**

Mouse, the other tribute left, tromped through East Island. He was heading to the feast at Cornucopia Island, seeking out the other tributes left. He was making his way onto the platform, when he saw a dash of red hair streak across the West Island platform. Mouse ducked behind the large, "Welcome to East Island" sign.

The boy thanked his lucky stars when he realized her objective wasn't _him_. It was the other tribute who was left, Blake. Blake didn't even try to stop her; he just stuffed his mouth with food. He seemed to have something on his mind.

There was a deadly crunch, a cannon boom, a hovercraft, and then there was no one left but Mouse and his enemy.

**;;;**

Omega grabbed a broken spear from the Cornucopia and took off her shoes. She would run better in the puddles without them.

After brushing the wild strands of red hair out of her face, she again searched for the other tribute. Ten minutes passed, and then she angrily kicked some sand.

"Where are you?" she shrieked. "Don't hide!"

No one showed themselves.

"Don't make me come after you!"

Again, there was a no show.

Omega growled with fury and started onto a platform to North Island. But as soon as she stepped foot onto it, the platform gave way. Just like an array of falling blocks, the platform broke into pieces and drifted away. Now no one had a chance of ever going back to North Island, unless they swam of course.

**;;;**

Mouse watched as the girl from 5 picked up a broken spear from the Cornucopia. It was still just as sharp as a new one, and it made Mouse wonder who would ever leave it there.

Omega began searching for him, yelling for him to come out of his hiding place. Then she decided to take a chance to North Island. As she was stepping on to the platform, it gave way and floated away from her. She fell into the water with a splash, but desperately got back onto the island. Gasping and choking, she took a rest.

Mouse had the slight urge to snicker, but knew better. This wasn't a foolish child's game, it was the Hunger Games. He took out his knife in defense behind the wooden sign. He would have to go out sooner or later. But would the platform give way under him too? And shouldn't he go out and kill her now while her guard was down? Certainly the unexpected bath might've made her groggy and weak.

He pondered on whether to do this, when he heard a strange noise.

_Caw! Caw!_

Mouse turned around and found several mechanical birds flying straight for him. Their sharp claws resembled knives and their teeth were like a bear's.

He scrambled up and out of his hiding place, running straight onto the platform to Cornucopia Island.

**;;;**

Omega wiped the seawater out of her eyes and groaned. This wasn't a very good moment for her and Panem. They would most likely be laughing at her.

_Caw!_

She cocked her head sideways to East Island. Something was making a noisy sound.

_Caw!_

Several machine-looking birds came out of the palm trees and flew toward Cornucopia Island. Omega saw an object get up from behind the sign and run onto the platform. She laughed as she realized it was the other tribute. She stood there to wait patiently, but soon thought better of it. The birds were gaining on him, and they would soon be on Omega too.

She quickly turned and ran toward the South Island platform. She tested her foot on it and to her dismay, the platform gave way again. She ran to the West Island one and it broke apart to. There was no escape.

Omega thought of a slim chanced idea. It would either get her killed, or it would save her life.

**;;;**

Mouse was a very fast runner, yes indeed. But these birds were just as fast, flying like the wind itself. He arrived at Cornucopia Island and saw Omega run to the Cornucopia. She pulled herself up onto it, starting on the tail and working her way up.

Mouse thought this was a stupid idea. The birds would just fly up to the top and kill her. He took a risky glance behind his shoulder and found that the birds only flew close to the ground. He now understood her idea, and he was going to follow it.

She was now on top of the golden Cornucopia, watching Mouse's moves. He hopped onto the tail of the Cornucopia and inched his way up. The raindrops on it made it very complicated and slippery. Finally, he got onto it. A few meters over was Omega, watching down below to see if her wise plan had worked.

The birds knocked into the Cornucopia, and angrily glared at them with their red eyes. Mouse sighed with relief when the birds did not fly up to them. He was safe for now.

**;;;**

Omega wanted to cheer with success. She had outsmarted a Gamemaker's trick. She knew that the birds could not fly higher than a couple of feet.

Her attention then turned to her enemy. She aimed her spear at the boy, as he aimed his knife at her. She laughed.

"Do you really think you can kill me?" she asked.

"I will," he answered.

She threw her spear, and he threw his knife at the same time. They collided and fell off of the Cornucopia, landing on a few unlucky birds' heads.

"Just my luck," Omega pouted.

Now it would have to be hand to hand combat. Omega ran straight to Mouse like a bullet. But halfway across the Cornucopia, a bird that had been climbing it, jumped onto her leg.

**;;;**

**District 5**

**Omega Von Dirge**

I screamed as the claws pierced my open leg. Blood flowed from the wound like crazy. I tried to shove the bird off, but the stupid thing wouldn't budge. I shrieked once again, accidentally losing my balance.

The long journey down seemed like years before I finally hit my death.

**District 3**

**Epoch 'Mouse' Selio**

I gasped as Omega fell into the crowd of birds. I watched as they clawed at her and bit her, and I could only flinch and shudder. Omega was being eaten and torn apart alive.

"Epoch Selio," said Claudius Templesmith. "You have won the 57th Hunger Games."

I bit my tongue and collapsed onto the Cornucopia. The last sound I heard was the whirling of the hovercraft to pick me up from above. All I wanted to do was to break away from it all.

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**A/N: There will be an epilogue for Mouse. If you're not going to read it, look forward to the sequel and thanks!**


	22. Epilogue: Something They'll Never Forget

**A/N: This is the last chapter of Breaking Away. I hope you enjoy this one! :) My sequel's tribute form will come out Friday. **

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**Victor of District 3**

**Epoch 'Mouse' Selio**

I woke up to the soft chugging of a train. I was lying in a white bed, and all of my cuts, bruises, and wounds were gone. The only thing I noticed that they hadn't cured was the skinniness and loss of weight.

Oh no. Where were they taking me? Another arena? I sat up in a panic, which caused my head to throb hugely.

"Calm down, Mouse." I didn't notice her at first. She was sitting in the corner of the train car, deep in the shadows. Her blonde hair was limply curled as always, and her blue eyes were afraid just as they always were. "We're going home, okay?"

I stared at my mentor's worry lines on her forehead. Her lips were parched and cracked. This wasn't the same mentor that I had met a few weeks ago.

She got up from her seat and walked over to me. She attempted to grasp my hand in reassurance, but I instantly snapped my hand back. She had no right to touch me, and no right to tell what was right or wrong. My mentor didn't even believe in me at the beginning of the Games, so why should I even believe in her?

Sierra understood my personal bubble. "Do you want anything to eat?"

I shook my head. If I was going to eat something, it was going to be in a place where I was safe and away from the Games. Sierra was once a part of the Games, so I didn't trust her. Did that mean I didn't trust myself either?

"Okay then," she said hoarsely. "I'll be in the diner car if you need me. Thirty minutes."

_Thirty minutes? _I started to panic again. Thirty minutes until what, my death?

Upon seeing my expression, Sierra said, "Until we get to District 3, for heaven's sakes! Quit worrying. There will be a crowd to congratulate you too." She walked out of the room and shut the door behind her.

I opened the window to let in the fresh air that blew past. The train passed the final tree, a grand oak, before there were no trees left. That meant the machinery and smoke of District 3 would soon be in sight. I sighed and shut it. That's when I thought of the people I would see when I got to my home district. Would they even be happy to see me?

My mother, Rain, would be delighted to see me. She was my only relative left, with my father and sister taken by the Peacekeepers.

Who else? Well, there were always my friends from school who I sometimes talked to. They weren't really my main priority though. There was the whole District 3 waiting for my arrival. But they weren't the ones on my mind.

Tigress.

I closed my eyes, trying to squeeze out the thoughts her. I had tried so hard to keep her away from the Capitol and the Games, but I just gave her the danger of being killed or manipulated. Maybe if I had died, I could have had the chance of saving her from it. If I had been killed, then she would have been forgotten after a few years, and she would be totally safe.

Would _she _be in joy to see me?

I took my district token off of my left ring finger and looked at it. The diamond was shined and polished. Did the Capitol caretakers do that? In the arena, the diamond had turned a rusty color. They couldn't have replaced it either; it was important to let the winning tribute keep their special token.

The train got slower and after a few minutes, it fully stopped. Sierra entered the room and told me it was time to go. I unwillingly followed and Ryan's past mentor, Dellan, muttered his hello. I guess he was a little sad that Ryan had died in the arena. I wonder how exactly she died, and how the Games turned out. A sudden urge to watch the 57th Hunger Games recaps hit me.

I was pushed out into a crowd of flashing cameras and joyous screaming. Oh no, I wasn't Panem's new heartthrob, was I? Gross.

We were taken to an awaiting stage with a huge audience. People chanted my real name _and _my nickname. Um… O.K. I wasn't really experienced with all the fame and fortune yet.

"Smile," Sierra whispered at me through gritted teeth. I attempted one, but it felt like it was funny-looking, so I settled on a regular expression instead.

"Welcome, Epoch," said the mayor. His smile was fake like always. "We are pleased to welcome you back to District 3 as a victor."

The crowd cheered and whistled. I nodded my head in thanks.

"Do something they'll never forget," Dellan muttered in my ear. "So they'll never forget the boy from District 3."

Do something they'd never forget? That would be hard; I probably portrayed myself as straight out boring right now.

"We also have a surprise for you, Epoch," he said. A surprise? I tilted my head in question.

People "oohed" and whistled tauntingly at me. Wait, not at me, but at someone else. I turned to find her walking onto the stage, adorned in a beautiful red dress. Her eyes were worried and anxious, but soon were soothed when she stared back at me. Everybody was suddenly quiet.

She ran to me and I decided I would never let her go. The embrace was so warm, and I didn't care if we were surrounded by people. The crowd cheered and laughed in happiness.

By the time we backed away, she was sobbing. I gripped her hand and recalled what Dellan had said.

"_Do something they'll never forget."_

I took a deep breath and kneeled down. I might as well do it right now, before we were taken apart again. Taking the ring off of my finger, I looked up into her eyes. The audience was breathless, as I uttered the words I had always wanted to say to her since the very beginning.

"Tigress, will you marry me?"

She covered her mouth and closed her eyes, nodding yes.

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**A/N: There will be more news about Mouse and Tigress in the sequel. Thanks for reading.**

**-AGT**


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